


You Can Make Me Forget, But I Still Feel It

by Robin Gills (Akiseo)



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Bonnie Bennett, Bisexuality, Blood, Blood Drinking, Bonnie Bennett & Damon Salvatore Friendship, Cute, Damon is basically a cat, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Hurt Damon Salvatore, Hurt/Comfort, I Love You, Love, M/M, Pain, Sex, Slash, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 14:23:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16914531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiseo/pseuds/Robin%20Gills
Summary: Damon laughs against his ear, “whisper, whisper, I just want to kiss your ear.”That one makes Alaric laugh out loud, he has a sudden swell of emotion. “God, Damon. I-”And then he’s outside the coffee shop, Damon’s holding his left hand and he has a coffee in the other. He stops, Damon’s hand yanks on his by the sudden stop. There’s nothing unusual happening, nothing out of the ordinary but he’s clearly just blinked and missed at least five minutes of his life, his coffee is still full.Damon walks back to him frowning. “What?”“I don’t know.”---Alaric's suddenly losing time again but it's only little bits or five-ten minutes here or there and it only seems to happen when Damon’s involved. Alaric’s in love with a man whose had 150 years’ worth of scars on his heart. In retrospect Alaric maybe should have planned for something like this.Damon has no excuses except he’s not ready to deal. He's just broken okay!100 fluffy and a few angsty moments.





	You Can Make Me Forget, But I Still Feel It

**Author's Note:**

> These where all suppose to be happy and fun! Where did the angst come from! D: More angst than intended sorry! Happy ending.

Alaric notices it happening inadvertently while in the coffee shop standing in line with Damon. The lines long and they’ve been waiting awhile. Damon’s hands have slipped into Alaric’s jean pockets. Sometimes Damon likes being that annoying couple; too much PDA. He can't help but smile with Damon’s body pressed against him as his mouth reaches up to Alaric’s ear to whisper weird or lewd things into it about their fellow coffee customers and snickering. Alaric has a hand around his waist to keep him close.

He whispers things like he wants to cutoff that dude topknot, that lady is ready _Fifty Shades_ for everyone to see, or he’s pretty sure the two baristas behind the counter fucked in the break room because someone sure did. Damon giggles against his ear, “whisper, whisper, I just want to kiss your ear.”

That one makes Alaric laugh out loud, he has a sudden swell of emotion. “God, Damon. I-”

And then he’s outside the coffee shop, Damon’s holding his left hand and he has a coffee in the other, as they walk past the outside tables. He stops, and Damon’s hand is suddenly pulled out of his as Damon keeps walking and Alaric doesn’t. Ric looks around. There’s nothing unusual happening, nothing out of the ordinary but he’s clearly just blinked and missed at least five minutes of his life, his coffee is still full.

Damon walks back to him frowning. He looks around using the peripherals for an attack. “What?”

“I don’t know,” is all Alaric can say. He can’t really explain. Doesn’t want to admit just yet that he’s missing a few minutes of his life. Did he just space out the last ten minutes or is it like last time? But it’s not quite like last time so really should he say anything, worry people? He hasn’t died since he was brought back. He doesn’t have the ring anymore. In the end, Damon takes his hand and tugs on it. “Well if you’re Spidey senses aren’t telling you anything can we go?” Alaric nods grimly and halfheartedly decides if it happens again, he’ll say something.

They get in Damon’s car and rocket through town to get to Whitmore. Damon drops him off at work with a cheeky peck on the cheek and says jokingly, ‘See you later, honey.’ Like he does sometimes when Damon drops Ric off. This time though Alaric grabs the lapel of his leather coat and kisses him roughly, he likes to try to throw Damon off a little. It doesn’t work of course as Damon groans and kisses back hard and a hand goes to his hair.

Alaric pulls away smiling, “Not the hair, I can’t show up looking like I just got laid.” Damon pouts and drops his hand, dramatically thumping against the center console. Alaric can’t help the goofy smile and leans over to peck Damon on the lips one last time. “L-”

And then he’s standing in his class room, coffee in one hand, satchel in the other. Staring at the faux wood dais. The classroom door suddenly bumps into him breaking him out of his zone.

“Oh! Sorry, Ric,” Bonnie gasps, as he quickly moves out of the way. She walks past him as he finally walks to his desk and drops his stuff on top. She looks concerned and about to say something, so he clears his throat. “Just contemplating the joys of teaching,” he laughs self-deprecatingly.

She smiles warmly and takes her seat in the second row of the auditorium. There are swells of yelling and laughing in the hallway as people come and go, students arrive sporadically. He checks his watch, he’s only got about eight minutes, ‘Shit, he was really late today.’

Students really start filling in seats and he digs around his satchel trying to find his lesson plan, trying to remember what he’s even suppose to be teaching today when he hears someone clear their throat. He looks up vigilantly and Bonnie’s motions with her hand. She keeps flattening her hair even though there aren’t any strands out of place in her ponytail. He watches her for a good second before she rolls her eyes and points to him.

His face heats up and he turns away to the blackboard, he runs his hands through his hair combing it through, so it looks presentable. He looks down at what folder he’d pulled out, as kids are finally taking their seats. He turns around again and Bonnie nods smiling. He looks back down at the folder, at least it’s the right class “US History: Civil War and the Reconstruction Era”, looks like they’re doing Bull Run already. Great, he remembers suddenly he had a whole lesson plan written up about what it was like as a soldier in 1860’s, credit to Damon Salvatore. Oh well, maybe next time or he’ll just assign reading and a paper on it. He starts writing Bull Run on the board.

\---

Alaric manages to save his freak out for his very limited lunch hour. He sends a text to Damon while his “Magic and the History of the American Witch” class is taking a quiz to see if Damon will pick him up lunch since it’s October and he’s already tired of the campus food and he did give him a blow job this morning. All he gets back is an emoji of two beers cheering. He thinks that’s a yes but he’s wondering if he’ll have to grab a sandwich from the cafeteria anyway because he wouldn’t put it past Damon to actually show up with just alcohol.

His schedule really sucks this year. He’s still a new teacher and lower on the totem pole for when he can schedule his classes, so his schedule is chaotic most days and crammed on Mondays. He can’t complain too much though he was able to convince the Dean to let him teach the Civil War class. So, by the time his one p.m. free period finally rolls around he's had a few hours to digest his missing time 'issue' and he’s starving.

He can compartmentalize though, and he gives himself ten minutes to scrutinize the morning and past few days in detail. He tries to think back; think of any time in the last couple days or weeks that he’s noticed a time jump like this morning. The more he thinks about it the more something nags in the back of his mind. It’s just small things that start to add up but they’re there.

Things that were easily dismissible before. Like blinking and suddenly Damon’s across the room doing something else, or he’s pumping gas; blinks and suddenly the tank is full. Wrapping his arms around Damon and kissing his cheek and then his arms are suddenly empty. Things easily explained by him not paying attention or vampire speed.

There are though, a few times he thought he’d been having a conversation with Damon, but he blinks and it’s over and he kind of sort of knows what they talked about but can’t really recall it in any great detail. Or people will say things to him like he knows what they’re talking about and Ric just says what he thinks they want to hear cause he’s not really sure he knows what they’re referencing. They’re all just sort of small gaps that nag at him now whispering that they’re important.

He realizes reluctantly that Damon’s been in the picture for most if not all of them. He doesn’t want to leap to his first conclusion of compulsion but the thought hangs around. He stews over it and before he can get too mad, he decides ultimately, he’s going to sit on it, see if he can gather more evidence before asking Damon about it.

After that he feels better, inaction is sometimes the best action. He leaves his office to snag a place at one of the picnic tables near the history department parking lot. It’s starting to get a little cold during the days, so he has spots to choose from. He sits and plays candy crush on his phone so he doesn't have to think about anything stressful for a few minutes. But by one-thirty he’s out of lives and he’s debating about going to the Union for food when Damon finally rolls up and parks. Damon salutes him as he approaches and Alaric gets in the passenger seat. Damon tosses him a rolled-up sandwich and asks, “Do I get a second blow job for front door service?”

Alaric laughs, “Maybe tonight.” He scarfs down the first couple bites of sandwich quickly. He doesn't even know what sandwich it is until he's halfway through. Damon opens the chips and crunches loudly.

“It’s gonna be a long school year if you can’t spend five hours without me,” he says conversationally.

“Indeed,” Alaric nods seriously but smirks. He tries to take a chip from the bag but Damon holds it away smirking.

“Pay the toll,” Damon says and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at him. Alaric can only guess what the toll is, so he pulls Damon towards him by the collar and kisses him. It reminds him of this morning before he was staring blankly at the podium.

When he pulls away, he must have paid the toll because Damon tips the bag towards him, so he can take one. They sit in silence for a while after that. Damon staring out the windshield, eating chips, and Alaric focused on his sandwich.

“What do you want to do tonight?" Damon asks breaking the silence.

Ric just shrugs, "I don't know, whatever."

"You'll be over then?"

"Sure," he said easily. For real, he's barely seen his apartment these days. His lease is up soon. Maybe he should consider broaching the topic of possibly, maybe, potentially moving into the boarding house. It’s not exactly close to school but he’s there most or all the nights. He kind of sorta has a section in Damon's closet after all. But Alaric stuffs that thought back down. They'd kind of vaguely discussed that they were in fact dating but they definitely hadn't even said 'I love you' yet. Officially moving in seemed like a big leap.

"Well with that ringing endorsement-" Damon said irritably.

"Hey!" Alaric laughs seeing through Damon's snark. "What do you wanna do then?"

Damon just shrugs and takes more chips. "Well I can make dinner, yeah?" Alaric says smiling.

"Sure," Damon says mimicking Alaric's earlier noncommittal tone. Damon's in a weird mood this afternoon. He's done with his sandwich now and he crumples up the paper, the chips are gone too but Damon ate most of those. He does the one sure-fire thing that'll pull Damon back. He leans over the center console this time, so he can kiss Damon better. Damon's lips are salty, and he lick at them, pulls the bottom lip into his mouth before kissing him again. He slips in a little tongue and Damon's sighs against him and maybe this isn't the moment, but it could be and Alaric wants to say it. He pulls back, and Damon looks unusually soft for a moment but it's over really quick because his face hardens.

"Alright, lunch over, get out," he says, not unkindly but forcefully.

Guess it's not the moment he thought it was. Alaric 'pshh' trying to not appear hurt and he's not, he just feels a little foolish. They're defiantly not ready for the move in talk. "I'll see you after work," he says and gets out of the car. Damon pulls out of the spot and out of the lot before Alaric can find a trash bin. He checks his watch. He has about ten minutes before his “Taboos through American History” class so he should really read over his lesson plans since he didn't last night and starts to head back. He hasn't taken more than a few steps before he sees Bonnie. She's standing under one of the trees holding a few notebooks and motions for him to come over.

He trudges over, apprehensive. All the kids know of course but how much Alaric isn't sure. They’ve never exactly announced the exact nature of the relationship to anyone, barely to themselves. He's guessing she got an eyeful though if she'd been standing there longer than five minutes. He’s pretty sure Damon’s talked to Bonnie about him or them though. "Hey," he says as he gets closer.

"Hey," she replies. "You might want to try a more secluded place for your rendezvous," she smiles.

"Ha, yeah," he chuckles a little hesitantly. "Thanks for this morning," he says for something to say. He runs his hand through his hair self-consciously remembering the moment himself.

She just shrugs and smiles but she bites her lip after a moment. “I’m sorry if this is too personal but I need to know, for Damon sake.” She says rather bluntly.

“What do you mean? Know what for Damon’s sake?” Alaric asks worried.

“Have you told Damon that you love him yet?” She asks looking at him earnestly. Ric feels his face heat. He maybe would brush her off but- Well it’s _Bonnie_.

He clears his throat, “Ah, no, not yet,” he mumbles out trying not to look at her but she suddenly looks upset.

She nods sadly and whips a sudden tear away. “But hey-” he’s surprised by her tears, even if they are all friends, family really. He grasps her shoulder, “I do though. I just haven’t really had the right moment yet, I guess,” he shrugs. He’s not sure why he wants to console her about his love for their best friend be he just does.

She nods smiling but she’s still tearing up. “Don’t tell him. I promise I’ll do it, Tonight even.” They can make dinner like they do most nights and he’ll just come out and say it. He’s been stewing over how to do it for weeks it seems, maybe blurting it out, ripping off the band-aid and have the chips fall where they may, is how it’s going to have go.

She nods but she still looks sad so he hugs her, he usually finds that helps. She hugs back, fiercer that he expected. A few moments go by and she pulls back and if his coat is a little wet he won’t notice. “Better?” she nods and her smile is a bit brighter than before. “Okay.”

He didn’t realize how much his and Damon’s relationship had affected her. Has she been put in the middle somehow? “He didn’t send you-”

“No!” She said eyes wide, she takes a breath, “I can tell it’s there, loves a powerful feeling. I- I pick it up sometimes with my magic and just you know Damon. I want him, both of you to be happy. He can be stubborn.” Ric smiles and nods, he doesn’t know what to say to that.

"Ah-” it’s her turn to clear her throat uncomfortable, “Anyway, I was actually trying to find everyone today to give these out," She holds out a bracelet, "I made them last night."

"Vervain?" Alaric asks frowning, did she think he needed it? None of them have really used it for jewelry anymore, except in certain situations. He’s promised Damon he wouldn’t wear vervain. It is inconvenient if he keeps burning him by accident, mood killer. But Bonnie shakes her head quickly.

"They're locator bracelets. I found the spell in a grimier. I'll be able to find you easier with the locator spell if you wear it. Can't have too many precautions these days. It’s been-" she pauses looking upset again, “It’s been a rough past couple of months” She says but her smile is still sad.

"Try years," Alaric says trying to joke, cheer her up. She does seem to involuntarily laugh though and be smiling for real.

"Thanks," he says more seriously though because no one thanks Bonnie enough, "Really, I mean it." She half smiles and gives him a one shoulder shrug, probably just the thought that they even need it. “You going to be alright?” He asks her.

“Course,” she says and her smile is warm.

He thinks about asking her how to get a hold of some of those herbs but then she says, “I gotta get to class. I’ll see you later, yeah?” He nods and she’s gives him another quick hug and she’s gone. Alaric checks his watch as she leaves and there goes his chance at being prepared for lessons this afternoon.

He checks his phone between classes and has a missed text with just the steak emoji. He could go for steak and bourbon tonight.

\---

It was turning out to be one of Alaric’s favored nights. There was a fire going in the fireplace and he’s on his second drink, lightly buzzed. No new vampires around, no werewolves in town, nothing supernatural of any kind since last week.

He’s found he favors the nights where they just eat dinner and then just make out on the couch of the boarding house before moving up stairs and utilize Damon’s large bed. If he thought about it, they’d become awfully domestic for two people who haven’t moved in together yet. He tries to remember what color the walls of his apartment are and can’t.

He gently pushes Damon down onto his back on the couch as he works his tongue into Damon’s mouth. Damon’s hands roam and then slid under his shirt. Alaric moves to nibble away at his jaw. Alaric pushes Damon’s t-shirt up enough to get his own hand underneath and find a nipple to tweak. He returns to Damon’s mouth to place slow lazy kisses and Damon jerks underneath him when he finds the nip he’s looking for. He’s not really in a hurrying tonight.

He says it before he fully realizes he’s going to say it. “I love you,” he breaths out against Damon’s lips. Damon breath hitches and suddenly Damon’s pushing him up. Alaric’s worried now, maybe it was too soon even though they’ve been fucking for a year and then sort of pseudo dating for another half. But he felt it and just said it, it’d felt right in the moment. Sitting next to him Damon takes his face in his hands and his pupils dilate as he say’s “Ric,” in a tone Alaric’s heard Damon use before on other people. The tone he uses to _compel_ people.

“What the fuck Damon. Are you trying to compel me?” Alaric’s instantly pissed. Damon drops his hands from his face surprised, taken aback. Damon eyes search him, looking for something. His face grows angry as eyes lay on the bracelet Bonnie gave him this afternoon, on Alaric’s wrist.

“Vervain,” he spits angrily, his face hard. He reaches to take it, but Alaric draws his wrist back on reflex.

“What the actual fuck Damon,” Alaric says again still fuming.

“You’re wearing vervain! You said you wouldn’t wear it!” he yells standing, pent up anger vibrating through him. He walks away towards the liquor shelf with his glass, his back to Ric. And that tics Alaric off even more, if anyone should be angry it’s him!

“You said I wouldn’t need it! I didn’t know it had vervain, Bonnie gave to me this afternoon. Something about making it easier to track people, as a last resort.” he stands too, he feels at a disadvantage being seated. He walks after Damon but stops short in the middle of the room.

“The only way you’d know it had vervain would be if you tried to compel me Damon. Something you said you wouldn’t do,” he says harshly. Alaric’s twitchy with anger and adrenaline. Damon’s back is still to him leaning and hunched over the liquor table.

“Did you just try to compel me?” Alaric asks again steely. Damon quickly shots his drink and slams it down on the table so hard it breaks in his hand. Alaric see blood run down the table but he doesn’t do anything, just waits. Waits for the fight, waits for Damon to throw him against the wall, the couch or the floor, even punch him. But none of it comes, Damon does none of the typical Damon things.

Damon closes his bloody fist making the glass shards grind, dig in deeper, fresh blood drips down the wood.

“Yes,” Damon says, voice gravely, just loud enough for Alaric to hear.

“What?” Alaric says dazed. He didn’t expect Damon to admit it or at least so soon into the fight.

“Yes, okay!” Damon yells it this time turning but doesn’t look Alaric in the eyes, just stares at his chest. Damon looks suddenly deflated, lost, tired, as he stares at the middle distance. The fight is leached out of him. Alaric’s surprised to see his cheeks are wet. He’s never seen Damon cry, even come close.

“I can’t-,” Damon starts, “I couldn’t deal.” Is all he says. He walks over the nearest chair and slumps into it, forearms on knees. Good hand covers his eyes, the other hangs loosely between his knees, blood dripping down his fingers into the carpet. “It’s happening all the time now,” he says dejected.

“What’s happening all the time? Couldn’t deal with what?” Alaric asks softly, the fight suddenly leaving him as well. He’s never seen Damon react this way, never given in so soon. It feels like hours but in reality, it’s only a few minutes when Damon lets out a ragged sign and says, “You saying you love me.”

Alaric thinks if this had played out any differently, he would have laughed. But seeing Damon as torn up and shattered as he is, his heart breaks. He knows subconsciously that Damon’s a little broken. His parents were the worst, one abusive and one indifferent, and his love-hate relationship with his brother is unhealthy at times. Not to mention the scares Katherine left on him. And even though Elena let him down gently years ago that probably only deepened old wounds.

Alaric’s in love with a man whose had 150 years’ worth of scars on his heart. In retrospect Alaric maybe should have planned for something like this. There are bad days of course, days Damon’s had too much because he’s triggered by something but they don’t last long any more, a day at most. Damon just seems too cool and collected most of the time and Alaric fell for it. That hurts Alaric the most, he didn’t see it.

Alaric walks swiftly and kneels at Damon’s feet, so he can look at his face. He gently takes Damon’s bloody wrist, he wants to touch Damon, have Damon know he’s here. Damon’s a tactile person and he always responds best to touch. He sees new tears fall and Damon refuses to look at him.

“Babe? Why is it so hard to hear?” he asks softly, like he’s talking to a wounded animal, which he kind of is.

Damon sobs and hair falls to obscure his eyes. He drops his hand though and says quietly to the floor, “Nobody ever picks me. They always picked Stefan. My mother, father, Katherine, Elena…” he trails off, probably reliving old pain.

“No one’s ever said it and actually meant it,” More tears fall as he blinks.

“But I mean it. I picked you,” Alaric says honestly. He doesn’t know how to convince Damon of it. But then Damon surprises him but laughing, if a little hysterically.

“I know,” he says smiling, pained. “You’ve said it like a hundred times. Three times today even.”

“I have-” Alaric’s about to ask but realization dawns on him, “all my missing time. You were compelling me to not finish my words or forget that I said them.”

Damon looks dejected again, “Yes.”

He rips of the bracelet off, “Show me,” Alaric says pleadingly, grabbing Damon’s wrist again but less gentle than before, desperate.

Damon takes a shaky breath and finally looks Alaric in the eyes and he looks so sad. His eyes are pink. Damon grasps Alaric’s’ cheek gently and says, “Remember.”

And Alaric does.

 **1)** Family threat  
The first time, he remembers dropping it casually after killing a stray vampire that threatened Elena but by extension ‘the kids’ too.

It’s very warm for August. They, mostly him, just finished burying a dead vampire and are walking back to the car. Damon says offhandedly, “Well he picked the wrong patriarchs to fuck with.”

Alaric has such a swell of excitement, joy, and pride. Hopefulness for the future, of the family waiting for them back home. A rush of happiness and giddiness. Even though they both have issues and they really have to talk about the future, he loves this man, this vampire. He pulls Damon to his side and kissing him deeply. He whispers, “I love you,” against Damon’s lips.

 **2)** Make up sex  
Alaric’s memories slide to the next. He can’t judge time, doesn’t know how far after the first memory. Could be hours after or days.

They’re in Damon’s bed. They’re coming down from an intense round of sort of fighting, cause it doesn’t seem like they really fight about anything important anymore. They had a round of rough make-up sex and Alaric’s still inside Damon. Damon’s eyes are closed as he pants below him, legs still wrapped around his waist, hand around Alaric’s neck. One second Alaric is thinking Damon is gorgeous; he’s overcome with happiness, and he says “I fucking love you.”

 **3)** Promising  
Alaric is swept into the next memory. Damon’s lounging against Alaric’s side, head on his chest. He’s playing with his phone while Alaric dozes, exhausted from getting very little sleep this week and crazy make-up sex. Damon giggles suddenly and twists in Alaric’s arms waking him fully.

“Look at this picture Elena posted of Stefan.” He shoves the phone in Alaric’s face. It takes him a moment to focus. The kids were heading to the lake house this weekend. The photo is of Stefan in the backseat of a car. He’s asleep, head back, dead to the world, mouth wide open. Stefan looks ridiculous, it makes him laugh too. He doesn’t know why but the pure joy he feels and the promise of a kid free weekend, a boarding house to themselves makes him say, “I love you.”

 **4)** Hand job  
The next. Their trading dirty hand jobs in the shower and he says, “I love you,” against Damon’s neck.

 **5)** Blow  
And another. He’s on the couch, in front of the fireplace and Damon’s just given him an awesome blow job smirking up at him and he says, “I love you” when Damon slides up and kisses him.

 **6)** Drunk  
They’re plastered, or at least Alaric sure is. He’s lying on top of Damon on the couch. They’re still fully clothed but he’s got a hand up Damon’s shirt and he’s messily kissing Damon, who’s attempting to thrust against him, but leverage is an issue. Damon’s laughs at him, “I like drunk, Ric.”

“Man, I love you.”

 **7)** Headboard  
He’s pounding Damon from behind, hands bruising as he grips slim hips, head board slamming against the wall and it tumbles out of his mouth when he comes, “Fuck, I love you!”

 **8)** Riding  
Damon’s above him pumping his cock, spreading slick liquid chaotically, impatient. He quickly straddles Alaric’s waist and lines himself up. He says “I love you” before Damon can seat himself.

 **9)** Wall Sex  
Alaric’s holding onto Damon’s shoulder. Fucking him into the wall. Hips pistoning in and out harshly and he says “I love you” into the back of Damon’s neck.

 **10)** Blowing  
He swallows Damon whole, one last time and Damon comes down his throat, groaning. Alaric comes up for air, swallowing. He kisses the head impulsively. “You’re fucking good at that,” Damon says gasping. Ric looks up at him from Damon’s crotch, into pale blue eyes, “I love you.”

 **11)** Needy  
Damon wines impatiently, as Alaric thrusts slowly in and out. Damon’s so greedy, needy, and eager tonight. He whispers, “I love you,” into Damon’s sweaty hair.

 **12)** Morning Wood  
Alaric wakes to Damon stroking his morning wood and says “I love you” after coming down Damon’s throat.

 **13)** Dive Bar  
They’re in the bathroom stall of a dive bar in a forgotten town, because Damon can’t wait until they get home. Damon gets a hand in his pants and he pulls away for a moment looking at him. “Are you not wearing underwear?” Damon asks smirking.

Ric shrugs, he needs to go to his apartment to get more clothes.

“So, fucking hot,” Damon moans and moves to open Ric’s fly and stroke him.

“I love you,” Ric smiles as Damon attacks his mouth.

 **14)** Playful  
He’s nibbling at Damon’s jaw, it’s early morning. Damon’s persists in pretending to be asleep, so Alaric sticks his tongue in his ear. He lets out an unholy shriek and throws Alaric off him as Alaric laughs hard. There proceeds to be a scuffle, sheets and limbs flying, which Damon wins because if Damon wants to win, he will.

“You think you’re so cute,” Damon says keeping Alaric’s arms pinned to the bed above his head. Alaric just smiles and lifts his head to kiss what he can reach, turns out it’s Damon’s nose and Damon turns away pouting, it bubbles up in him like laughter, “I love you.”

 **15)** Sleeping  
Alaric is pulled out of sleep when the bed dips as Damon gets in. He doesn’t know what time it is, probably really late. He hears Damon slide across the bed and then an arm is thrown across his chest. Damon, snuggles into Alaric back, smooshing his face between Alaric’s shoulder blades. Alaric can feel Damon’s cool body against him, cold nose in his back, and ice-cold feet bump his. He huffs a laugh and hugs the hand to his chest. “I love you.”

 **16)** Enabler  
They’re in the kitchen of the lake cabin and the kids are outside swimming or something so they’re alone. Damon’s mixing drinks, “I’m a horrible guardian,” he says as he watches Damon.

“Yes, but we all have our faults,” Damon replies easily. Alaric reaches across the island and punches him in the arm, but it’s weak.

“And you’re just an enabler,” Alaric says and takes one of the cups to take a drink.

“One of my good points,” Damon grins and takes his own. “Besides they’re all twenty-one, now right?”

“Try nineteen and twenty,” Alaric says. Damon shrugs, “Close enough.” He walks around the counter and slides between Alaric’s legs to kiss him. It tumbles out of his mouth unfiltered, “I love you.”

 **17)** Swimming  
They’re swimming far out in the lake; the kids are inside the cabin or on the beach sunning themselves. “Can you get sunburned?” he asks uncensored thought turned to words as he floats.

“I know you can,” Damon says smirking and he puts a hand on Alaric’s shoulder, Ric can see he’s getting sunburned.

He splashes him and then Damon’s tossing him bodily out of the water. Damon’s smirking as he sputters to the surface. Ric’s already planning his revenge. He dives under the water and swims back. He shakes the hair out of his eyes as he emerges. He stands on the sandbar with Damon. He wraps his arms around Damon’s waist “I forgive you.”

“Pfft” Damon releases air and then Alaric pulls down Damon’s swim trunks. Damon squawks but then laughs. “Fine! Keep them!” He finishes taking them off and throws them at Ric and laughs as they land on Ric’s head.

Alaric takes them laughing too. He starts swimming towards shore but not the beach. He barely makes it to the woody shoreline before Damon’s grabbing Ric’s own swim trunks and yanking. “Hey!” Alaric yells laughing but then Damon flips him around and kisses him. They kissing in the shallow water. He must have a sunstroke because he says “I love you,” when he pulls back to breath.

 **18)** Firewood  
Alaric chopping firewood in the back yard of the lake house. Everyone wants a big bonfire tonight but nobody’s willing to chop the wood. It’s fine though, he could do with a bit of a workout. He pauses to take his shirt off, he’s sweating through it, it’s super warm for August. He sees Damon leaning against the railing of the porch with a drink in his hand.

“Care to help?” he calls out.

“I’d rather watch you do it.” Damon calls back. “It’s sexy.”

Alaric snorts. “If you help, it’ll get done faster and we can do something else.”

“Right, cause being around flying wood pieces sounds like a good idea,” Damon drawls.

Alaric laughs “Love you!” he calls.

 **19)** Sliver  
“Ow!” Damon yells angrily and shoves him away. Alaric’s amused. “Come back here,” he says laughing. Damon’s retreated to the other side of the bed and sucking on his offended digit. “I’ll get it this time. I swear.” Damon’s glaring at him but it’s a little silly with the finger in his mouth. He finally crawls back over and sits behind Ric on the bed. He leans against Alaric’s back, pressing into it. His legs on either side of Ric’s. He sighs, muttering “stupid fucking woodpile,” and finally sticks his hand underneath Alaric’s arm and produces the finger. “You’re the one who choose to make out on it,” He laughs. He gets an aloof ‘hmph,’ from Damon.

Alaric smiles and holds Damon’s arm to his chest. He takes the finger in his hand. He handles the tweezers trying to find a good angle to approach the sliver. The skin keeps healing around it every time he tries to dig it out. He squeezes the vampire’s finger to try to bring it closer to the surface. The last time he’d almost gotten it before Damon ripped his hand back. Damon whimpers into his back. He manages to get the miniscule tip of wood sticking out. He pulls and Damon whimpers into his back.

“See! I got it!” He says triumphantly and holds it a loft. He turns his head and Damon’s already put his pointer finger back in his mouth and pouting.

Ric turns leaning over Damon’s lap so he’s at the same level with Damon’s face. “You’re such a baby.” He laughs and tries to kiss Damon’s lips with the finger still in his mouth. Damon ‘hmphs’ and flops back onto he bed. “You’ve been staked! How is a tiny sliver equal to that?” Alaric laughs.

“It just is,” he says as he takes his finger out of his mouth to inspect it. Ric crawls on top of him. Damon holds the finger out to him. Ric looks at it and then kisses it. “Better?” He smiles.

“Yus,” he says pout-y.

Ric’s still laughing, “I love you.”

 **20)** Fangs  
Damon’s fangs are deep in his throat and it’s giving Alaric a wicked hard on. “I love you.”

 **21)** Drunk  
“I’m going to throw up on you,” Alaric slurs, he’s very, very, very drunk. Way past drunk, way past wasted.

“That’s our cue!” Damon yells. Alaric is hoisted up by his belt loops and Damon walks him out the club’s side door, towards the car.

Damon tries to stuff him into the passenger seat but Alaric plants his feet. “I have something important to say!” Alaric yells out.

“Christ! What?” Damon says holding his ears pained.

Alaric turns and grabs Damon’s shoulders and looks him in the eye. He feels really serious when he says, “I love you so fucking much it hurts.”

 **22)** Pounding  
Damon’s pounding into him ruthlessly and he says “I love you,” as he comes.

 **23)** Bite  
Alaric bites Damon’s ass hard and Damon howls, “Fuck yeah!” Damon reaches around and before he can kiss him he says, “I love you.”

 **24)** Bathroom  
Damon pushes him into an upstairs bathroom at the Lockwood mansion. He locks the door and then drops to knees in front of Ric’s crotch. “I love you,” is tumbling out of his mouth as Damon’s takes him out.

 **25)** Dance  
Damon’s board and has turned the music up really loud so Alaric can’t concentrate on his book anymore. Damon starts dancing, it is actually rather erotic. Damon can pull off sultry. But Ric’s trying not to give in just yet. He did actually have to read the book for his classes.

Damon starts to get silly though and takes a floor lamp and dances with it for a bit then swings over to Alaric and pulls him up to dance with him. They do an exaggerated check to check dance, marching through the living room. He laughs, “You’re such a goof, I love you.”

 **26)** Kill  
Alaric stabs the vampire through the heart as Damon holds him down.

“Fuck yeah,” Damon says. It’s been a difficult kill. The vampire had been clever but he wasn’t as old as Damon and that had ultimately had been the difference.

They start walking back to Ric’s truck so they can grab shovels and then suddenly Damon’s pushing him down to the forest floor, still full of adrenaline. Damon’s lubing him up before he registers his pants are gone and he groans out an “I love you” as Damon roughly enters him.

 **27)** Pancakes  
Damon’s making pancakes and Ric wraps his arms around Damon’s chest. He smells like butter and Alaric nibbles at Damon’s neck. “I love you,”

 **28)** Can’t have pancakes without Syrup  
There’s syrup everywhere and Alaric pushes Damon up onto the kitchen island and why didn’t they know sooner that it’s the perfect height to fuck. He’s holding Damon’s leg open wide and pounding into him. He says “I love you,” as he tumbles down and they both cum.

 **29)** Fire fuck  
Ric’s pressing Damon down hard into the rug in front of the fire. Damon’s knees around Alaric’s shoulders and Ric’s trusts snap harshly and Damon’ whimpers. The look on his face spurs Ric to say “I love you.”

 **30)** 1950s  
Alaric rolls out from under his truck. He thinks he’s fixed the thing that the mechanic on youtube said to try fixing. He’s covered in grease though and the youtuber definitely said it was easy. It was not. Damon’s leaning against the grill of the truck, “Are you done yet? Can we go?”

“If the car turns on then sure,” Ric says. He doesn’t think Damon’s listening anymore cause he’s staring at Alaric’s greasy t-shit.

Suddenly Damon’s sitting on top of him. “You’re hot as a greasy monkey,” and leans over him to kiss him.

“I bet you were a greaser,” Ric says when Damon pulls away.

“You know it,” Damon smirks. “The 1950’s were alright.” Ric runs a greasy hand through Damon’s hair and it’s slicks back.

“Hot,” he says and he feels himself getting hard. Damon’s smirks and rolls his hips against him. He leans down to kiss him. “Role play later?”

“I love you.”

 **31)** Blood  
Damon pulls himself off of him, coming up for air he doesn’t need. His eyes dark and Damon’s normally pink lips are painted red with blood. He doesn’t know why but Ric slowly whips at the blood on Damon’s bottom lip. It’s stained red. Damon sucks Alaric’s finger into his mouth. It’s like his finger is connected to Ric’s cock as it twitches in his pants. “I love you.”

 **32)** Board  
Damon’s reading on the couch and Alaric is the one board for once. “I’m reading,” Damon grumbles, as Ric straddles his waist.

“Read it too me,” Alaric says as he pops the button on Damon’s jeans.

“Once upon a time,” Damon starts dramatically and Alaric open his fly and palms him through his briefs, “Something happened. The end.” He says and toss the book over the side of the couch.

“Wait! I want to know now! What was the something that happened?” Ric laughs and removes his hands.

“After you finish what you started,” Damon says lustfully.

“Tease,” Ric accuses, smiling.

“Fucker!” Damon yells and suddenly they’re reversed on the couch and Alaric laughs, “I love you.”

 **33)** Harder  
“God, Ric! Harder,” Damon yells as he grips the trunk of the car, denting it with his fingers, and Ric picks up speed slamming home every time. Damon comes well before Alaric does and Damon’s sweet ass squeezes him almost painfully and then he’s coming inside and yelling, “I love you,” into Damon’s sweaty shirt.

 **34)** Poison  
Alaric is itchy as hell and is struggling to not itch. Damon leans down to get closer to look. “Yup, that looks like poison ivy on your wang,” he says eloquently and giggles. “Does it itch?”

“Yes, you fucker, it itches,” Alaric says through clenched teeth and Damon doubles over in laughter. “Why aren’t you itchy? I fucked you with this!” Ric points to his crotch.

“V-a-m-p-i-r-e,” Damon sings. “I heal.”

“Well fucking heal me!” Ric yells, he really can’t anymore.

“Nah, this is too funny,” Damon says gleefully.

“Then I’m staying at my apartment for the rest of the month!” He tries to get is dick back in his pants so he can leave. “Vampire free!” Ric expounds, there’s gotta be a drugstore on the way back.

“It’s the 3rd!” Damon says alarmed.

“I know,” Ric says.

“Alright, alright, alright,” Damon says desperately and bits his wrist and shoves it in Rics face getting blood everywhere. The blood takes affect quickly, he must not have needed much cause he’s definitely got a hard on now.

“Better?” Damon asks leaning in to lick off his own blood from Alaric’s face.

He really doesn’t know why he says it. He doesn’t feel Damon deserves it right then, but he says it anyway. “I love you.”

 **35)** Escaping Caroline  
“They gotta be around here somewhere!” Alaric can hear Caroline yell from the backyard. He’s trying to clean up the mess in the garage from helping mow for the big party she wants to have at the boarding house. Damon comes rushing in, vampire speed. He stops in front of Ric and says, “Hide!”

“Wh-” Damon’s hand covers his mouth and then he’s on the ground, Damon top of him, still covering his mouth. He puts his index finger against his lips in the universal ‘shh’ sign. Alaric rolls his eyes. They’re hiding being Damon’s car. He hears the door to the garage from the house open. He doesn’t know who but Damon’s eyes get big and he tenses over him. The door closes shortly after and then he hears Elena yell, “They not in the garage!”

Damon produces keys from his pants pocket and he opens the passenger door. He points to it and then at Ric. He signs some elaborate sequence that Alaric thinks means Damon wants him to get into the car quietly. He rolls his eyes and Damon’s eyes get big again and does the ’shh’ sign. Alaric would sigh but he’s not actually sure how much of this is an act or real. “Don’t trust a human to do a vampire’s job!” Ric hears Caroline’s voice coming closer. Damon jumps off Ric and is in the driver’s seat before Alaric can get into a crouch.

As soon as he’s in, they peel out of the garage. Damon’s putting the car in drive when he sees Caroline burst through the door. “Damon!” Caroline yells.

“We need ice! I know!” Damon yells laughing manically and pulls away.

They make a detour to Alaric’s apartment before getting ice, for a quickie. Damon pushes him against his apartment door. “Hmm,” Damon hums, “You smell like grass, like earth. Manual labor suits you.” And licks a strip up Alaric throat.

Ric laughs, “I love you.”

 **36)**  Trap  
Ric gets thrown back by the old vampire they’ve been fighting and tracking since last week. Damon’s by him in a second. “Fine!” He grits out. He doesn’t want to lose the vamp and he can’t see it anymore. But then they hear an angry cry.

“I think she fell into our trap!” Damon says gleefully and hauls Alaric up. They walk a ways in the direction they heard the yell. Sure enough hanging from a tree, the trap they set has a smoking vampire in a vervain soaked net.

Damon turns to him. “I’m going to fuck you later.”

“What’s wrong with now?” He carries lube with him everywhere now. Damon’s eye’s flash hungrily and Ric says it.

 **37)** Homophobia  
They’re exiting a bar in rural West Virginia holding hands and Ric’s good and buzzed and happy, he definitely can’t drive them back. All of a sudden Ric’s shoulder is wrenched back and a fist is punching through his nose. It hurts like hell and there is a lot of blood. Instinct takes over and he recovers quickly. He turns on his heals swiftly and punches hard. The body falls to the ground, caught off guard by the suddenness and maybe forcefulness of Alaric’s retaliation. Ric jumps on top of the body punching wildly. He doesn’t have any steaks he thinks fearfully and just punches.

Suddenly he’s being pulled away by the shoulders and he cries out as his shoulder is wrenched back again. “Ric!” Damon’s been yelling his name he realizes. Alaric stops, he’s breathing hard. He tries to calm down, tries to reset. He stands looking everywhere though assessing where the next attack will come from but all he sees are two bodies on the ground. He looks to Damon’s face for reassurance. Damon has blood around his mouth and a healing black eye.

“They’re just human,” Damon says.

“Human?” Ric asks, he can’t fathom it just now.

“Yeah, your normal everyday run of the mill, uneducated homophobes,” Damon snorts and he’s taking the hem of his shirt to whip the blood off his chin.

“Oh,” Alaric says quietly, “Well they really picked the wrong people to fuck with!” Ric laughs hard, adrenaline still pulsing through him but instantly regrets is when his nose throbs painfully. “Ow,” he says pathetically.

Damon suddenly in front of him taking Alaric’s face in his hands and Ric bows his head. The vampire licks at the blood on Ric’s chin, lips, under his nose. Then Damon bites his own finger and Ric’s sucks on it when the digit is inserted into his mouth. Damon sets his nose and Ric whimpers but the pains disappears quickly from Damon’s blood. Damon pats the side of his face gently.

“Are they dead?” Alaric asks, realizing suddenly, another type of fear grips him. It was self-defense but still.

“No, unfortunately,” Damon frowns. “What do you want to do to them? I vote for castration, they shouldn’t be breading.”

Ric sighs, “Tie them up and write I suck dick on their forehead?”

“There’s a permanent marker in the glove box,” Damon says.

They’re in the car later driving home, having sobered up in the worst way. Damon’s right hand stretches over the center console, they’re fingers intertwined loosely in Alaric’s lap. Alaric’s mapping Damon’s face from his sharp jaw to his expressive eyebrows. “You’re staring,” Damon states casually.

“I love you,” Alaric whispers and he feels his eyes are wet.

 **38)** Pay attention to me  
Ric’s sitting on the couch too engrossed in his book and he doesn’t notice Damon behind him. He feels a hand run through his hair. “Hmmm” he hums.

“Pay attention to me,” Damon says sullenly. Alaric can’t help but smile, he pretends to keep reading. “Hmm?” he hums instead. Fingers pull at the hairs at the top of his head and Ric tilts his head back against the couch. He’s looking at Damon upside down. “What’s that?” he asks smiling. Damon leans down and kisses him. Damon pulls away and Alaric laughs, “I love you.”

 **39)** Painful  
“Ow, ow, ow,” Ric says and he stops trying to sink down onto Damon’s cock, pain lacing up his body. He grits his teeth and breaths for a second trying to relax. Damon’s hands tighten on his hips.

“Have you ever done this before?” Damon asks.

“Not this _exactly_ ,” Alaric says through clenched teeth.

“Maybe you’re doing it wrong,” Damon says conversationally like it’s no big deal they’re in Damon’s bed and Alaric’s trying to fuck himself on Damon’s cock and doing it wrong.

“There’s more than one way to do this?” Alaric says pain making him jump to annoyed quickly.

“Maybe for you,” Damon laughs.

“Ow!” Alaric says again when he sinks a little lower.

“Okay,” Damon sighs and he’s pulling Alaric off him and laying him on the bed, Alaric winces. Damon kisses him for a while and stocking him back to full hardness because he’d gone soft. Pretty soon Damon’s lifting one of Alaric’s leg up over Damon’s shoulder and enters him. It only hurts briefly for a moment but it’s gone and Alaric signs. “Better?” Damon smiles against his lips.

“I love you.”

 **40)** Grill  
They’re at the grill and Damon’s across from him playing footsie with him under the table like a teenager. He’s giving him winks, eyebrow raises, and doing absurd things to straws trying to get Alaric to laugh. Ric thinks he’s doing pretty well so far at not smiling. But Damon’s escalating quickly. Then he feels Damon’s actual foot without his shoe graze the inside of his thigh and he breaks.

“Ha!” Damon laughs with him, “Drinks are on you.” Alaric never agreed to that but whatever, “I love you and your silly ass.”

 **41)** Backseat  
“Ow!” Ric grits out as his knee hits the center console that juts out into the backseat.

“You’re on the bottom, you shouldn’t need to move! I’m doing all the work.” Damon accuses as he pauses riding him to frown.

“I told you the backseat wasn’t a good idea,” Ric says only slightly annoyed. He can’t be too irritated his cock is presently buried deep in Damon’s ass.

“Yeah well, it’s raining out and you’re a giant. It’s not my fault. We all have to deal with what God gave us.” He starts moving again, Ric’s a little annoyed cause this isn’t really all that comfortable and he slaps Damon’s ass. It’s not hard but Damon groans, “Fuck yeah, how have we not done that yet.” So, Alaric does it again and Damon lets out a long groan.

“I love you.”

 **42)** Tiffany  
They’re at the Grill eating a solid meal not just drinking one when a pretty twenty-something girl he’s seen around town before walks straight up to their table. Ric blinks and swallows his fry, Damon glares at her.

“I’m Tiffany,” she says smoothly to Ric but there’s a little lilt in her voice that betrays her nervousness. “We met at the bank last week?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Ric says fumbling he’s not sure what’s happening. Is this a plot to lower his guard? Distract him? He remembers vaguely she made a comment about how long the line was and he’d said something like yeah.

“Well I just moved here from Florida and if you want to go out sometime here’s my number,” she says and slides a napkin on the table with a number on it.

“Listen bi-” Damon starts bitchy but Ric kicks him under the table.

“I’m sorry Tiffany but I’m actually seeing him,” he points to Damon who looks sour. Embarrassment comes over her. ‘Shit” that wasn’t his intention, he’s not good at this.

“I appreciate the balls it took though to come over,” he says. “If I ever break up with this asshole, I’ll give you a call.” She mutters a ‘yeah sure’ and flees.

“Shit,” Ric says that could have gone way better.

“If you ever break up with me?” Damon says arms crossed, pissed.

“Oh, come on, I love you, we’re not breaking up,” Alaric says and eats another fry before realizing what he said.

 **43)** Morning  
Alaric wakes slowly and for once restful. He knows Damon’s awake because he always wakes when Ric does. Damon’s body is warm against him from Alaric’s residual heat and Damon buries deeper into his arms. Ric opens his eyes squinting, sunlight streams in through the widows and if feels like a perfect moment. He’s just so content. He buries his nose in Damon’s hair and whispers it.

 **44)** Nose  
“Tip your head back!” Damon yells from the trunk.

“I amb,” Alaric mumbles. Even though bloods still running into his mouth from his broken nose. He got sucker punched by the now dead werewolf.

Damon returns with a rag and Alaric takes it to try to stem the flow. Alaric looks to see where Damon went once, he's situated. Damon’s not too far away staring at the blood on his face, his shirt, his hands. Ric lowers his head even though blood is still flowing. Damon speeds in front of him. He’s close, pressing against him, staring at his chin.

Damon reaches forward with his mouth and licks up Ric’s chin. “Hmm, Yum,” he hums and returns to lick off the rest. Damon licks at his lips and kisses him, lips wet. Damon sucks Alaric’s lip into his mouth and Ric groans even though the vibrations hurt his nose. Damon releases his lip smirking.

Ric sighs, “I love you.”

 **45)** Work for it  
“Get them off!” Damon drunkenly yells, flopping face first onto the bed. Alaric laughs as he struggles to take Damon’s pants off with his legs flailing. He’s more sober than Damon apparently.

“I’m trying, stop moving!” Ric laughs as he narrowly gets a foot to the chin. He reaches up and tries to pull them over Damon’s ass but Damon pushes his ass into Ric’s face. “Off!”

“The pants or you?” Alaric asks and Damon’s ass flops back down, he turns, his face smooshed into the mattress.

“Riiiiiiic,” he whines. Ric’s trying to pull them off his thighs but he literally has to peel them off.

“Seriously, wear tighter pants,” Alaric says.

“They show off my ass though,” Damon pouts and wiggles it to show Ric his ass, as if Ric hasn’t been paying attention.

“I know but it makes it harder to fuck you.”

“You gotta work for it buddy.”

“Oh, _believe_ me, I am.” Ric says seriously. Damon juts his lip out to really accentuate the pout but he gives it up quick. He flops onto his back, clumsily hitting Ric in the arm with his foot and tries to wiggle out of them too. Ric watches amused for a solid minute.

Damon stops tired, breathing hard, and frustrated with finally one foot out. “Okayyyy you’re right.” He sighs and closes his eyes. “I’m too tired to fuck tonight,” he says. Alaric laughs, he kind of thought this wasn’t really going anywhere anyway.

“Are you sleeping like that?” Ric asks.

“Yes.”

“All right,” Ric laughs, “Scoot over, you’re taking over the whole bed.” Damon rolls to the other side dragging the pants still attached to his other leg with him. Ric chuckles and draws the comforter over them and snuggles up to Damon’s back, “I love you.”

 **46)** Rimming  
They’re in a larger than average closet of the Lockwood mansion, some Founder’s Day party going on outside. But Ric doesn’t care because he has Damon trembling before him, pants around his ankles. “Fuck, Ric, hurry up.” Ric smiles and spreads Damon’s ass cheeks to return to tonging at Damon’s hole. Damon pounds the wall with his fist. “Fuck!”

Alaric takes pity on him and pulls the lube out of his pocket and slicks up. He still enters Damon slowly, he’s not above the slow torture on Damon’s serial impatience. When he’s finally balls deep, he takes Damon’s ear in his mouth and rolls his hips. Damon groans trying to roll back. Alaric suddenly snaps his hips and Damon’s yelling obscenities and slaps the wall again. Alaric grins, he loves this! He loves him! He says “I love you” into Damon’s ear as he snaps his hips again.

 **47)** Shaky legs  
They’re walking back out to the party and Damon trips on the stares outside. Alaric grabs his elbow to steady him. “Whoops,” Damon laughs.

“Drunk already?” Alaric laughs with him.

“Legs still shaky,” Damon smiles. “I got a thorough fucking earlier you know.”

Alaric’s mouth goes dry, “I love you.”

 **48)** Yeah baby  
“Yeah baby, right there,” Ric gasps out as he grabs the headboard trying to hang on, hang in there. Damon thrust aren’t urgent tonight. He’ slowly fucking him, Alaric would almost use the words making love but he won’t. Damon leans down over him thrusts still measured. He giggles though. “Baby,” he says and kisses him. Ric moans, “I love you.”

 **49)** Work out  
Alaric trudges inside breathing hard. He sighs with relief when he enters the air-conditioned boarding house. It was way too hot and humid to be working out today but he’d needed to go for a run. Needed to clear his head and put his body through some paces. He’d been drinking and eating too much lately and he was starting to feel like crap.

Damon’s on the couch and has turned to look at him when he comes in. “What’s happening?”

“Huh?” Alaric grunts as he drops to the floor to stretch, he pulls off his sweaty shirt, it’s too uncomfortable.

“Have you been running from something?” Damon asks, halfway out of his seat.

“What? I mean, I went running. Like to workout,” He says laughing. “I told you I was going.”

“Oh,” and he settles back against the couch but doesn’t return to whatever he was doing just watches Ric stretch. Alaric lays down. Maybe he’ll do some crunches. But suddenly his lap is full of vampire. “What?” Ric asks.

Damon leans down over him and licks at Ric’s throat. “Your blood is pumping.”

“Yeah?” Alaric whispers.

“Can I have some?” Damon asks.

“Sure,” Ric replies and Damon’s sinking his teeth in. The pain melts away after a bit and pretty soon he’s tenting his running shorts. Damon pulls back licking at his neck and then his own lips. He sits up and runs a hand down Ric’s abs, still a little slick with sweat. Pretty soon Damon’s got his hand down Ric’s shorts and stroking him. He leans down to claim Ric’s lips again and Alaric moans it against Damon’s lips.

 **50)** Fight  
“You should hate me!” Damon yells and sets his drink down hard. Alaric’s surprised it doesn’t break. He just shrugs though going for unconcerned, yelling back doesn’t work with Damon. Damon likes to escalate, wants you to be mad at him and yell back but Ric’s found if he’s calm Damon calms. “But I love you. It’s a mystery.”

 **51)** Sex Dreams  
Ric rises slowly out of a very stimulating dream. He’s trying to grasps the ends, warm bodies and a formless shape doing impossible dream things to his cock, his hole, his body. He’s warm and relaxed though and he reaches down between his legs and strokes himself.

“Do you need help with that?” Damon groans into his neck and Alaric feels Damon’s hard on against his ass.

“If you want,” Alaric gasps out.

“Doing a pretty good job yourself though,” But Alaric moans when a hand comes around his waist to take over for him. He moans in the pillow, “God I love you.”

 **52)** Staring  
They’re both lounging on a couch, with a book and a bourbon each. A fire going in the grate. Alaric’s lost interest in his book and is just starting at Damon’s face, memorizing it. He really like Damon’s lips and neck, which is maybe a weird body part to be infatuated with. “You’re starting,” Damon says without look away from him book.

“I love you.”

 **53)** Nap  
Ric breaths slow and deep trying to slow everything down, his thinking and breathing, so he can sleep. They probably need to change the sheets he realizes. They smell like Damon and sex.

“Why are you asleep in the middle of the day?” Damon asks grumpy. He meanly pulls the blanket off Alaric.

“Well I’m not anymore, and they’re called naps.” Alaric groans, that lasted all of five minutes.

“I know what napping is.” Damon’s annoyed. He’s probably hungry.

“Then join me,” Alaric supplies

“What for?”

“Cause you’re cranky and I know you’ll want to go out later and I’m tired from teaching and I want you to get in bed with me, do I need to keep going?” Damon sighs dramatically but gets in anyway.

“See, not so bad,” Ric says when they’re forehead to forehead.

“Shh-“ Damon says finger to lips. “We’re suppose to be sleeping.”

“You’re a dick, but I love you.”

 **54-55)** Bonfire  
Damon, Alaric and ‘the kids’ are all sitting around the bonfire in the backyard of Elena and Matt's house they just bought a few months ago. Damon’s been kind of grouchy all day and is now rather drunk, Alaric’s not really sure why. He just is sometimes and Alaric knows it’s not something Alaric did or is really directed at him. Alaric suspects sometimes being in Mystic Falls drags up memories for Damon that he just doesn’t want to remember or can’t deal with. He’s just triggered and can’t talk about it. Elena’s looking concerned and Stefan sad.

“Come on, we should go. It’s getting late,” Alaric says to Damon after Damon makes a cutting remark to Caroline. It’s about time they go home before Damon explodes on someone who doesn’t deserve it or won’t understand. Damon looks at him stubbornly petulant, but chooses not to say anything. He suspects Damon knows it’s best they leave. He tosses his drink back and stands, chucks the cup into the fire with more force than necessary and walks out of the circle towards the house, no goodbye.

Ric sighs, turning to Elena. “The barbecue was a good idea, Elena. Thanks for inviting us. We should make this a yearly thing,” he says smiling, cause there aren’t enough annual things they all get roped into around here.

She chuckles and stands to give him a hug goodbye, “See you later, Ric.” He waves to the rest and they wave back, a chorus of goodbyes. He hopes he can get Damon in the car before they start gossiping about them.

Damon’s already leaning against the car, arms folded on the roof, face buried in them, defeated, drained. He doesn’t look as tense as he had sitting around the bonfire. Alaric unlocks the doors and Damon takes a deep breath before getting in. Ric gets in the driver’s seat. Damon’s slouched in the passenger. Alaric pulls away from the curb and reaches for Damon’s hand, fingers loosely fitting together.

They get to the boarding house and park before he says, “I hope you know I love you.”

“Don’t,” Damon’s voice breaks, tears in his eyes. He sobs, “I don’t deserve it.”

Alaric grabs the back of his neck forcing Damon to look at him, “I. Love. You.” And Damon hangs his head and cries. Alaric presses his lips against Damon’s hair.

 **56)** Poot  
Ugh, Alaric’s stomach’s acting up. Maybe that Indian chicken had been too spicy. He’s lying on the couch trying to read, Damon’s on the other couch, lounging. He’s got a silly straw in his bourbon so he doesn’t have to sit up to drink. It makes Ric smile. He moves to try and get more comfortable and eeks out an embarrassing fart. ‘Fuck!’

He hears giggling from the other couch. “Nooo!” Alaric wails embarrassed and covers his face in a couch pillow.

“Did you just poot!” Damon laughs.

“No! You didn’t hear that!” Alaric moans into the pillow mortified.

“Hate to tell you Ric but even if I wasn’t a vampire, I would have heard that,” Damon’s voice is closer now. Hands take the pillow from his face. Ric knows his face is red. Damon’s laughing face is above him. “It’s human nature,” he says. Alaric frowns.

Damon rolls his eyes. “If I could poot, I probably would have by now to make you laugh.”

Alaric laughs, “I don’t know why, but I love you.”

 **57)** Eyes  
“God, you’re so fucking hot,” Alaric says pressing his lips against Damon’s sloppily, he’s good and buzzed. He was suppose to go home and grade papers but he’s going to do this now. He pushes him against the bathroom door at the Grill. “Yeah?” Damon smirks.

“Yes,” Alaric says, certain. “You’re eyes just glow, and I love it. I love them, I love you.”

 **58)** Sick  
Alaric’s sitting on his couch wrapped in a blanket. His nose is stuffed up and soar from blowing it too much and he feels drained. He’s just staring at the blank TV, he doesn’t have the energy or the will to do anything but just sit and think about how miserable he is. A mug of tea is placed in front of his field of vision. “Drink,” Damon says sternly.

The fact that Damon’s here and not avoiding him while he’s sick means something and he say’s “I love you,” without conscious thought.

 **59)** One bite mark too far  
Sun hits his eyes and he winces. He tries to draw the sheet over his face, but his muscles protest and he can’t help it, he whimpers. His body hurts. His arms, his legs, his chest. His muscles scream as he slowly sits up. He arranges his body to sit at the edge of the bed. Ric leans over on his knees breathing deep and assessing. He has hickeys and bite marks all over, his chest, his sides, his inner thighs. Some nights sex with a vampire can be too much. It’s always awesome and mind blowing at the time but the next day it can be one bite mark too far.  
   
Alaric tries to stretch out his arms, but it doesn’t really help and he’s just too lethargic. He just wants to lay back down in bed, but he really has to pee. He stands on his wobbly legs and turns the corner of the bed towards the bathroom when the world goes fuzzy around the edges.  
   
He slams into something. When the world starts to look less white, he finds himself face first in someone’s arms on the floor. The world’s starting to come back into focus. Everything still hurts though, and he struggles and fails not whimper again.  
   
“Jesus, Ric!” It’s Damon then, who caught him. He sounds concerned. Alaric can see one side of his face still needs to be shaved. He also realizes belatedly Damon’s half naked, his cheek is pressed to his naked chest.  
   
“’m, fine,” Ric tries but Damon “pffs” at him. “Then why are we hanging out on the floor?”  
   
“Just needed to sit down I guess,” he’s fine right here, really, smooshed against Damon’s naked chest. He is a little cold though.  
   
“Yeah,” Damon says. Did Alaric say that out loud? Damon hoists him up and gets him back to sitting on the bed. Alaric still feels really light headed. He flops back against the headboard.

“Maybe we need to keep cookies and orange juice by the bed,” he jokes. Damon frowns and bites his thumb before pressing it against Ric’s lips. Ric parts his lips to lick at his bleeding finger and he starts to feel better immediately. He sighs feeling better.

He smiles though, everything’s alright, “Maybe few less bites tonight?” He leans over to kiss Damon, but Damon pulls away frowning. Now Alaric’s frowning.

“I love you.”

 **60)** Duke  
Ric pulls up to boarding house, it’d been a long ass weekend. He’d had to spend all of it in Richmond at a history conference. Normally he’d be happy to go but he’d just wanted to spend the weekend at home in sweatpants. Instead he’d spent three days with undergrads, master students, and stuck up professors and PH. D. candidates. They’d all had something to say about the Whitmore Occult History classes, how popular they’d heard his department had become. He’d really rather not talk about that!

He walks inside, drops his suitcase by the door. No one’s around so he goes upstairs to find his old Duke sweatpants, he can’t find his sweatshirt though. Damon’s not in his room so he goes downstairs to the kitchen.

He only finds Stefan. “Damon around?”

He just shrugs, “Think I saw him moping outside earlier.” Ric chuckles and thanks him. He heads out to the patio. He does see black hair poking out the top of an armchair. He tries to shuffle loudly to announce his presence but when he walks around the chair, Damon’s asleep apparently and using Alaric’s jacket as a blanket.

He sits down on the edge of the chair and Damon blinks at him, “What’s up?” Ric asks smiling, he tugs at the coat. “I hear you were moping.” Damon frowns. “I was not.”

Alaric leans down to kiss him hello, “No?”

“No,” Damon says pulling Ric’s face back down to him, sloppy kisses. Ric has to breath though and pulls back for a moment.

“Is that my sweatshirt?” Ric asks laughing. He pulls down his coat a little more and yeah, Damon’s wearing his sweatshirt with blue ‘DUKE’ lettering across the front.

“Absolutely not,” Damon says seriously and crosses his arms across the front hiding it from view.

“Did you miss me?” Alaric asks. He wants to joke about it but he doesn’t. He thinks it’s fucking hot. He wants Damon to wear it.

“No,” Damon says pushing at Ric’s chest.

“Cause I missed you,” Ric says, he’s maybe going out on a limb. Damon swallows thickly, not meeting Ric's eyes, Ric can’t read his expression. “You know I love you right?”

 **61-62)** Jack  
Ric’s checking his email on his phone. Boring stuff but he’s waiting for Damon whose late as usual. They’re suppose to be having dinner but he’s going to order if Damon doesn’t get here in the next ten minutes. He’s already near the end of his second drink and he’s going to be buzzed if he orders another and doesn’t eat; won’t be able to drive home. Someone sits next to him at the bar. Ric looks up thinking it’s Damon but when he looks up it’s just a tall black-haired guy, not Damon. Ric smiles genially and the guy copies him and Ric returns to his phone.

“Hey,” the guy next to him says. Shoot, he hoped his impulse to follow the social convention norms to smile at the guy didn’t mean he’d be talker. “Hey,” Ric repeats.

“You new here?” The guy asks.

Ric snorts, “Ah no, I’m here a lot.” Ric chuckles, “You must be new.”

The guy chuckles too, “Sort of, I moved here two weeks ago. I don’t know how to cook though so I’ve been here every day for at least one meal.” The guy shrugs.

“I hear ya,” Ric says, it sounds a lot like him when he moved here. Although he came more for the social watering hole aspect and the vampire stocking part.

“Hey, I’m Jack,” he says holding out his hand. Alaric takes it after a second and they shake once. “Ric,” he answers with a brief smile.

“Can I buy you a drink, Ric?” He asks, “I could use a drinking buddy in this town.”

“Thanks but I’m actually waiting on my b-“ he trips over the word because it is the south and he’s already gotten a broken nose this month from homophobes so he’s cautious. Besides, fuck this guy, he doesn’t need to know his business. “My friend,” he finishes. His phone, thank god buzzes in his hand just then. He doesn’t know why but he’s getting a vibe from the guy. It’s the guys eyes, Ric realizes, he’s kind of got a crazy eye look. He looks at his phone and ‘Damon’ appears on his screen.

“Speak of the devil,” Ric laughs at his own joke and holds up his phone. He shots the rest of his drink and says, “Some other time, Jack.”

Jack says “Sure,” and they nod congenially at each other and Ric takes the front exit. Once outside he calls Damon back, he’s missed picking up the first time.

It only rings for a second and Damon’s yelling on the other side, “Ric, Thank God!” It sounds like he’s driving. Ric laughs “Hey, are you almost-” Damon cuts him off. “Where are you?”

“The Grill, dinner remember.”

“Good stay there! We’re coming to you.”

He must be on speakerphone on Damon’s end because he hears, Bonnie say “Turn here.” Then “Ric, we’re almost there!” all the yelling is concerning.

He frowns, “I just left, there’s a creepy guy at the bar. We should eat at home-” Ric says walking to his car.

“No!” Damon’s yelling, “Go back inside, there are people there! Witness!”

“What are you talking-” A blow to his head rocks him. Pain in his temple takes him down. His head swims and he throws up. He’s proud he’s still holding his phone though. Damon’s yelling something but Alaric can’t understand it, or really hear it. Ric looks up, Jack’s standing there with a tire iron.

“Ric, huh?” he says walking closer. “Damon’s human right? His walking blood bag?” Ric moves to his knees but stays there. He doesn’t think he can stand without throwing up again, he probably has a nasty concussion.

“I prefer lover,” Ric says. Damon’s tiny voice is screaming from the phone, in his hand.

“Whatever,” the guys face is twisted. He’s standing right in front of him now, still holding the tire iron. Ric’s fairly sure he’s about to die for revenge against Damon. He can’t say he didn’t see the possibility of it happening. He knows who Damon was. He doesn’t want his death to haunt Damon though, even though he suspects it will, and he can’t do anything about it.

He’ll die for good, he won’t be back. He hasn’t had Damon’s blood in a week. Something only now he realizes he regrets. Not so he wouldn’t die but so he could see Damon again, see his family again. Help Damon through life, be happy.

He holds the phone up to his mouth. “Damon,” he says, he’s proud his voice is steady. Jack just watches him, maybe giving him his last words. Damon’s quiet on the other end, someone’s crying though. “I love you.”

The tire iron swings in the air again and he’s not thinking anymore.

\---

He wakes sluggishly. Damon’s face swims into view. Its tear streaked and his eyes are red. Ric’s head is on fire and he’s in the worst pain he’s ever felt. He knows his jaw is broken. “Hey,” Damon whispers to him smiling through tears and snot. Ric can’t hear him very well though like he can only hear with one ear. He’s having trouble focusing on Damon, he can’t seem to get a grasp on his thoughts.

Pain overwhelms him and he thinks he’s going to pass out again but Damon’s biting his writs and blood fills his mouth and it jostle his broken jaw. He involuntarily gasps from the pain but the blood flows so freely he almost chokes on it but then the pain starts to slowly fade, things start to become clear.

“Lay still, it may take a few moments,” Damon’s saying. “He hit you really hard.” He can feel Damon now, stroking the top of his head, that’s an improvement, right? He does as Damon says though and lays still with Damon stroking his hair. Finger tips feeling his face, his jaw as it morphs back together, his temple. The pain recedes to a dull headache and he tries to sit up. Damon helps him and he leans against him gratefully. He realizes he’s still in the parking lot of the Grill. He’s sitting near the trunk of a car on the dark far side of the parking lot. A body is a few meters away.

“Do you need more?” Damon asks, drawing his eyes away from Jack. Damon shows him his wrist to Alaric. “Maybe,” he says. He still has a wicked headache. Damon bites his wrist again. Ric takes it and holds it to his mouth this time, swallowing. He doesn’t take a lot though and he lets Damon take it back. He sits there for a bit. Body unwilling to move, Damon’s rubbing circles in his back.

His face feels cold and he reaches up to feel it. His hand comes away bloody. “Don’t,” Damon says and he take Alaric’s hand in his and takes the hem of his shirt to wipe away the blood from Ric’s fingers. He doesn’t lick it off like he has before. Damon pulls off his t-shirt then, jostling Ric a bit. Damon balls it up in his hands and starts cleaning Ric’s face. Ric remembers his last few thoughts before he was violently attacked. “I love you,” Ric whispers and Damon looks like he’s going to cry again. His eyes move from the blood on Ric's temple to Ric’s eyes. “And not because I thought I was going to die.”

Damon looks like he’s about to say something but suddenly Bonnie drops next to them. Her face is wet as well. He reaches out to take her hand, squeezing it, and she smiles through new tears. “No one can see us, I cast an invisible spell. No one should be able to see us if they leave the Grill,” her voice cracks. “We should hurry though. Let’s shove this guy in his trunk and push it off a ravine.”

“Vampire?” Ric asks.

Damon shakes his head, “Human.” Ric feels bad for only a second. He would have killed Ric.

 **63)** Bonnie  
Ric blinks, wakening slowly. He fell asleep on the living room couch, book still on his chest but someone threw a blanket over him. He sits ups groggy. Someone lit a fire in the grate too and he can see through the window that it’s dark out now. He must have been asleep for at least an hour. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and tosses the book onto the coffee table. He still feels tired. He stretches yawning and he feels a little better. He takes a deep breath. He can smell food cooking and it smells amazing, his stomach growls angrily. He walks towards the kitchen to find out whose here.

He overhears Bonnie as he approaches, “He’s fine though, right? It was a brutal hit to the head.” he can’t make out Damon’s reply just that he mumbles something. But a second later he does hear Damon say clearly, “Hey, you gotta keep stirring those onions. We want saute not brunt.”

“Hey Ric!” Bonnie says quickly as Alaric walks through the kitchen doorway. Bonnie smiles at him as she stands over a pot, at the cook top in the island kitchen. Damon’s opening tomato sauce cans on the island next to her.

“Hey Bon,” he smiles warmly and takes a seat at the kitchen island surveying their work on the counter. Damon places a wine glass in front of him, smirky and happy. “I’m showing Bonnie the art of Italian cooking,” Damon grins.

“Hey, I know how to cook!” Bonnie glares at Damon “I just never made pasta noodles from scratch,” she says.

“Enter moi,” Damon smirks and bows. Bonnie rolls her eyes. But Alaric chuckles, and she smiles looking at him.

“So, what is today's lesson,” Alaric asks.

“Cheese Ravioli,” Damon says, “We’re starting out small.” He laughs as Bonnie smacks his arm. Ric watches them as they put tomato sauce in with the onions and garlic. He measures out spices to toss into the pot. A recipe Damon seems to know from memory.

“We’ll let that simmer, ideally I’d let it sit for a few hours or a crock pot but whatever. That would require planning,” Damon says rolling his eyes. He gets out flour and eggs and has Bonnie measure out the flour to put on a board on the counter. Ric watches as Damon instructs her to create a well in the middle of the flour. She cracks the eggs into the middle, adding salt, and olive oil. Damon tells her to gently incorporate the egg into the flour.

“Don’t break the wall!” Damon says when she gets close to the flour wall keeping the egg mixture inside.

“I’m not, chill,” Bonnie says rolling her eyes. “I can’t imagine you teaching anyone how to drive,” she says sarcastically.

Ric laughs, “I’d like to see that.”

“Hey!” Damon says quickly, cross. “Do you need something to do?” He says glaring at Ric.

“If you need help,” Ric says laughing.

“You’re on garlic bread duty,” he says and points to a baguette on the opposite counter.

“Ooo yeah, garlic bread,” Bonnie says sounding excited. Ric stand to grab the loaf and gathers his own materials even though it’s probably too early yet to make.

“You can start using your hands now,” Damon tells Bonnie, “Form a ball.” Once they finish that they let the dough rest for fifteen minutes. Damon pours her a glass of wine and they sit for a bit at the kitchen island talking. Bonnie has a few good college stories that make them laugh. They talk about taking a trip to Boston and have Ric show them the good Italian restaurants but Damon bets he’s already been to them all.

Bonnie’s alarm for fifteen minutes goes off and Alaric watches as Damon pulls out the pasta maker. “I love the twenty-first century,” He says as he clips it to the counter so it doesn’t move. He has Bonnie cut the dough into two balls and then shows her how to roll them through the rollers of the machine and catch them on the other side.

Damon cautiously holds his hands under the other end in case she doesn’t catch it, which is rather unnecessary but Alaric’s not going to comment. When it’s at a thickness Damon likes, Bonnie lays out the two long strips and on the counter. Together they start putting little piles of a cheese mixture Damon mixed up on one of the strips. They paint on an egg wash that will, “Glue the pasta together,” Damon says.

That done Bonnie lays the second strip on top and presses down between the mounds of cheese. Damon pulls out a fancy cutter and she cuts between the mounds to create little pasta pillows. “Hold on I have to Insta this,” she says.

“Did you just swear at me?” Damon asks. Ric and Bonnie laugh. “Ric you’ll have to explain it to him,” Bonnie says.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Ric says. “Do you want to get his Insta stories?” Ric teases, he knows Damon has Instagram.

“Rude!” Damon says aloof but refills everyone’s wine glasses with a smile, while Bonnie posts.

While they let the raviolis rest, Ric starts cutting up garlic to add to butter for the bread. He’s popping foil covered bread into the oven with butter and garlic spread between cuts in the loaf as Bonnie puts water with salt on the stove top to boil.

Alaric sits back down and watches as Damon shows her how to carefully lower the pasta into the pot “Gentle rolling boil!” he says pointing to her. “If you learn nothing today, remember that.” Bonnie salutes him laughing and Ric’s heart feels so full. They let the pasta cook for a few minutes and then they’re sitting down to eat.

The homemade cheese ravioli and basil-y marina sauce with a wine hits the spot like Ric can’t even say. He feels like he needed this, he can’t really explain why though.

Bonnie only stays a little while after dinner. She still has to drive back to campus and do some studying. They pack up the uncooked ravioli and leftover marina for her to make in her tiny communal dorm room kitchenette. She hugs them both before she leaves and Damon watches her from the door until she drives off.

Ric sits back on the couch with the abandoned blanket. He’s full, warm, and happy. Damon joins him. He pulls Damon to his side. He kisses his temple, “I love you.”

 **64)** Kiss me  
“Kiss me,” Damon says with his lips pressed to Ric’s. Alaric laughs, “I am.”

“Harder, more,” Damon says urgently hands roaming all over. Ric laughs, “I love you.”

 **65)** Papa Ric  
Ric’s sitting on the couch reading, the fire’s going, and Damon’s laying on the couch next to him. Head resting against Ric’s thigh. Alaric’s running his hands through Damn’s hair, massaging occasionally. He’d been messing around on his phone but he seems to be sleeping now. He hears Stefan coming down the stairs. “Hey, I’m going to Caroline’s,” he says casually.

“Be home before eleven” he says on instinct. Damon snorts, laughing, next to him, almost falling off the couch. Not asleep then. Ric looks up at Stefan embarrassed, “Ah- Sorry, I’m use to a Gilbert saying that to me.”

Stefan smiles, shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, Ric. Bye guys.” He waves goodbye as he leaves.

“Papa Ric,” Damon giggles next to him and Ric heart feels like it’ll burst. “Hey,” he says softly leaning down and twisting the hair in his hands. He kisses Damon’s upside-down mouth, “I love you.”

 **66)** Fix me  
Damon’s drunk again. It one of those days. Damon’s been listless and anxious with a drop of contrary all day. Alaric’s chosen to ride it out by trying to work on class stuff outside. He wouldn’t call it avoiding, Damon knows he’s outside, Ric’s just providing space. It’s nearing dinner time now though and he’s thinking about ordering food.

He hears a crash inside and really debates weather or not to go and find out what’s happened, what’s broken. He needs a refill on his drink though and maybe food and blood will improve everyone’s mood. Once he’s inside he doesn’t see anything immediately wrong. But then he hears Stefan sadly say, “Damon.”

Ric hurries to the living room to see Damon, head hanging down, sitting on the floor in front of the liquor table. Stefan’s crouched in front of him. There’s alcohol running off the table onto the floor from a broken decanter. He walks swiftly to them and crouches down beside Stefan. Damon’s holding his bloody hand, glass shards digging into the palm of his hand. Stefan’s trying to dig them out and Damon’s watching dispassionately. He doesn’t care that Stefan’s there. “Babe,” he says taking Damon’s shoulder.

Damon looks up and smiles brightly, “Hey Ric!” But then frowns “I thought you weren’t here,” He grabs Alaric shirt to bring him closer.

“I was just outside, Damon,” Ric says frowning.

“Oh, that’s alright then,” Damon says but his eyes slide away distracted.

“I’m done,” Stefan mumbles next to him and he produces a cloth and Ric takes it to whip away the blood as Damon’s hand is already healing.

“Ric?” Damon asks softly. “Yeah babe, I’m here,” he says.

“It hurts,” Damon whispers.

“Where?” Alaric asks, he can’t see any glass left in his hand and it’s already healed but maybe there’s glass somewhere else?

“Here,” Damon’s voice cracks as he puts his hand on his chest. Alaric’s breath catches in his throat and his own chests hurts now. His eyes are wet. “Can you fix me?” Damon asks looking at him.

“Yes,” Ric whispers and his own cheeks are hot and wet. “I will,” Alaric says broken. He doesn’t know how but he will.

“Okay,” Damon says easily, released. He falls forward into Alaric’s chest. Ric encircles him with his arms, protective. Alaric looks up because Stefan’s still standing there. Just behind Damon, eyes red and wet too.

Together they get Damon up to bed and Stefan says goodnight with a tight squeeze on Ric’s shoulder.

Ric gets undress and crawls into bed with the vampire. He draws him into his arms and Damon opens his eyes to snuggle into Ric’s chest. “I love you so much.”

 **67)** Lips  
“You’re drunk,” Damon says.

“I know,” Alaric says back. He’s tracing Damon’s lips with his finger.

Damon “hmphs” and moves under him. “Move, you’re heavy,” Damon says. Alaric slides half off him but still tracing his lips.

“What are you doing?” Damon asks, he licks his lips self-consciously and catches Ric’s finger.

“They’re so pout-y,” Ric says smiling. Damon pouts which makes him laugh, he doesn’t think Damon meant to.

“It’s like your resting face,” he says. He leans down to kiss them. Damon squints at him as he does.

Alaric pulls the bottom one into his mouth and sucks gently. He lets it go so he can keep kissing him. Damon’s finally kissing back. “I love your lips, I love you,” he groans.

 **68)** Bed  
“Come to bed,” Damon whines from the second-floor landing, looking down at Alaric whose hold up at the desk in the living room.

“I wanna sleep,” Damon whines again. Ric’s still trying to get this paragraph to make sense. The Deans been on him to publish and it’s been awhile since he’s had to write a peer reviewed paper.

“How many times have I said that?” Alaric says absentmindedly. It’s only like midnight, not even that late really. Suddenly his lap is full of vampire. “I’m a hypocrite, I know but I don’t have a problem with it. Come to bed. The words will make more sense if you sleep.”

Alaric sighs it’s unfortunately probably true. “Fine.” Damon crows triumphantly and gets off Alaric’s lap. Ric saves his word .doc and catches up to Damon on the stares and pats him on the bum. “Hey!” Damon laughs and turns. Damon’s taller than him now on a step above. Alaric tilts his head up smiling and Damon looks down at him and kisses him deeply. Ric pulls away. “I love you.”

 **69)**  Done  
“You’re mean, nasty, and cruel!” he’s yelling.

“Yeah, and I’m not going to change so you should just leave!” Damon yells right back.

“I’m not going to leave!”

“You should, we’re done, we had a good run, and now we’re done!”

“I’m not leaving!” Alaric says, standing his ground.

“Why!? I told you to get out!” Damon grabs him by the shoulders now. Alaric’s not sure if Damon’s going to physically through him out or not.

“Because I love you, you asshole!” Alaric says, his tempter rescinding a bit, “I’m not going anywhere.”

 **70)** Staked  
Alaric’s knocked to the ground, but the scream the vampire lets out, lets Ric know he hit his mark. He rolls and can see her drop to the ground incapacitated, vervain dart deep in the vampire’s neck. He gets a steak out and runs it through her heart. She doesn’t make a sound as she turns grey.

“Get off!” He hears Damon yell. Ric whirls around to find where Damon and the other vampire are but he’s too far away. He runs towards the sounds. He skids on dry leaves as he comes to a stop. Damon yells again as he struggles. The last vampire has Damon’s arms trapped to his sides as she bear hugs him from behind. She laughs evilly.

She has a wooden branch in her hand. She manages to angles it towards Damon’s heart while he struggles. Ric knows he used his last dart and his only chance is distract or, or- he doesn’t have time to think. He just runs towards them. He can only think to tackle them.

He hears Damon scream though before he gets half way to him. Both vampires have hands around the branch. It’s buried deep into Damon’s chest. “No!” he grits out. Damon looks up at him. He grits out a smile at him. Ric tries to remind himself, he’s not grey yet.

Still smiling Damon bites out. “You missed!” and he grips the branch and suddenly pushes it through his body to stab the vampire behind him. Both vampires scream and fall down to the forest floor, skewered on the same branch. Ric runs towards them steak in hand. He slides into the dirt next them and Damon moves as much as he can and Ric manages to bury the steak in the vampire’s heart as she thrashes. He’s panting hard from exertion and holding his breath during the fight, fearful.

Damon groans in agony, face in a twisted grimace of pain. “Okay, Okay,” Ric says grabbing Damon’s shoulder. He’s not sure if he’s trying to calm himself or Damon. “We’re going to have to push that through the branches face the wrong way, they’ll only stab you and catch on the way out,” Ric says breathing hard.

“Just-” Damon grimaces in pain. “Get. It. Out.” He manages to grit out. Ric gets out his hatchet that’s laced with wolfsbane and looks to Damon whose watching him through squinting eyes.

“Sorry,” Ric says and hacks at the thick branch trying to make the end still sticking through Damon’s chest smaller. Damon yells as the first strike shakes the branch in his chest, jostling the hole. Alaric hacks off the extra smaller branches, trying to make it smoother. Damon whimpers and Ric manages reduce the branch to only about six inches that has to be push through Damon’s body.

“Okay, alright,” Ric says tossing the hatchet to the side. “Can you sit up, it’ll be better to push it through instead of pulling you off it.”

Damon grabs his hand, takes a couple quick successive breaths and then yells as he sits up. The dead vampire slides off the other end of the branch. Ric steadies him as he almost falls forward. “You’re alright, you’re okay.”

“I’m going to count to four and push it through okay?” Ric says looking at him. He’s got a grip on the front and the back end that’s wet from both vampire’s blood.

“Why four?” Damon asks gasping and Ric pulls. Damon screams and then the branch is out and he’s falling forward. Ric throws the branch away and bends down to grasp Damon’s shoulders.

“Asshole, you didn’t even start counting,” Damon says wheezing into the ground.

“Distracted you though,” Alaric says trying to laugh but it catches in throat. He helps Damon sit up. Damon sways a bit and holds onto Ric’s arms. He’s sweaty and pale. Ric gathers him to his chest as Damon pants.

“Do you need blood? It helps you heal faster right,” Alaric says.

“Gonna need a little morsel, yeah,” Damon huffs also trying to laugh.

Alaric smiles and presses his wrist to Damon’s face. Damon takes it weekly but bites quickly. Ric winces, he’s not as gentle as he usually is. It hurts and the weird suction feeling is strong. Damon drinks for longer than he usually does but he pulls off when Ric feels just a tad bit light headed.

“Okay?” Ric asks. Bring his hand to Damon’s face. Damon licks his lips and then at Ric’s weeping wrist.

“Yes,” he sighs. He sounds better certainly.

“I haven’t been scared like that in a while,” Ric says.

“Me too,” Damon says and suddenly stands. He pulls Ric to his feet as well. Before Damon can turn away, Ric pulls Damon into a hug and whispers “I love you,’ into Damon’s neck.

 **71)** Scritches  
“Yes! Right thereeeeeee,” Damon moans excessively. Ric just shakes his head smiling as he scratches the spot he was directed to on Damon’s back.

“Get a room!” Stefan yells from upstairs and a door slams.

“We have one!” Damon yells back.

“Shit, how long has he been home?” Damon asks turning to him. Ric snorts laughing, his scritches have turned to rubbing, “I love you.”

 **72-73)** Dying  
“RIC!” Damon’s tiny voice is yelling distantly. He opens his eyes. ‘Oh right,’ Damon’s on the phone and he’s bleeding out. “Damon,” he says but it’s barely above a whisper. It really hurts to breath. The vampire was sneaky and Ric had stupidly let his guard down grabbing their takeout on the way home.

“I don’t think-” he coughs wetly, blood chokes him, “I’m not gonna make it.”

“Shut up! No. I’m almost there,” Damon’s yelling but his voice is getting tinier.

“Damon,” he says and grits his teeth through the pain, he doesn’t want any regrets, well he regrets not drinking Damon’s blood at some point today, but there is one thing he has control over and it’s his last chance to say it. “I love you.” He gasps for air, he feels tired and weak. The pains not so bad anymore though.

Suddenly there’s a breeze, something’s being pressed against his mouth, and thick liquid is filling his mouth. He swallows instinctively and immediately things start to feel better. The world is in color again. Hands are pulling him up and he’s leaned against a tree. Hands stroke his face, his hair, his chest. He thinks he feels lips press against his forehead.

“Damon?” he asks unnecessarily.

“Yeah, I’m here sweetheart, I’m here. You’re fine. It’s fine, everything going to be fine.” He pulls back enough and Alaric can see Damon’s face is wet. He’s worried and afraid. Ric grabs Damon’s jacket, it was too close. He sobs, voice broken, “I love you.”

 **74)** Lunch  
Ric’s sitting in his office, skimming through student papers on tarot cards and their use through history, but all he’s been thinking lately is how much he’s become like Isobel. Not the horrible bitch part but the Professor of Occult Studies and dating his subject matter part.

He’s going down a rabbit hole when he overhears Damon’s voice through his office door. He opens the door where some of the teaching assistants work. Damon’s sitting on his TA’s desk being suave, cool, and flirty. “Yeah Professor Ric is amazing,” _his_ TA, Julie, is gushing, all her attention on Damon. “All his classes are always full, they’re really interesting. He has such a cool angel to his subject matter, ya know?” She says.

“Yeah, I do know,” Damon says with a cocky smile. Alaric clears his throat. Both heads look up, Julie blushes and Damon’s smirking at him. Alaric glares at him but when he looks to Julie he smiles, “How about you take lunch early. I’m not in any hurry to get those essays done today.” She smiles and nods, “Sure.”

Damon saunters into Alaric’s office. He looks around, Damon’s only been here a handful of times and only briefly. It’s probably the only place they haven’t had sex yet. Damon walks over to lean against his desk. “I think your TA is in love with you.” He picks up the Ankh piece that’s sitting on his desk and tosses it between his hands.

“Ha. Ha.” Ric says as he sits back down at his desk. “Don’t drop that, it’s like a hundred times older than you,” Ric smirks. Damon lifts an eyebrow and scrutinizes it like it’s offended him for a moment and carefully puts it back on his desk.

“What are you? Indian Jones?” Damon says leaning over the desk.

“Pft, You and I wish,” Alaric laughs. Damon just looks at him. “Sooo, you here for lunch?”

Damon shrugs casually, “Sure, I could eat.” Ric smiles. He stands and grabs Damon’s hand pulling him to his feet. “Thank you for coming to see me,” he says.

Damon rolls his eyes, “Don’t.”

Ric leans down to kiss him anyway, “I love you.”

 **75)** Commute  
Ric’s shaving off his weekend scruff. Damon groans from the bed, rolls over, and pulls a pillow over his head. “Why are you up so early?” he asks. It’s muffled but it’s just loud enough for Ric to hear.

“It’s Monday,” he says.

“Ugg.”

“Drop me off at school today,” Alaric says nonchalantly, he’s not asking.

“Pft, no,” Damon says, still under the pillow. Alaric wipes away the remaining bits of shaving cream and walks over to the bed and plops down on it so Damon becomes somewhat airborne for a second.

“Why?” Damon whines at his mistreatment. Ric snickers and pulls the pillow off. Damon squints at him.

“Please? It’ll give you something to do today.”

“I don’t need you to give meaning to my life,” he says grouchily.

“I wouldn’t begin to imagine so,” Ric says, he leans down and kisses Damon’s jaw, “I already know I do.”

Damon huffs while Ric chuckles and pulls back. He stands and takes off his towel, tossing it over Damon. Ric walks naked over to the closet to go find pants. Damon speeds over to him and pushes him against the wall of his walk-in closet. Teeth sink into Ric’s neck.

“Hmmm,” he moans when the pain melts away. “Morning” he says.

Damon pulls away swallowing. “Your way to cavalier about that.” Alaric shrugs smiling he’s very use to it now and turns away, he does need to find pants.

As he turns, Damon swats him on ass, “Hurry up, otherwise I’ll want to do things that we don’t have time for.” Alaric shakes his head finding briefs.

Forty-Five minutes later, Damon pulls up to the history department building. Alaric leans over and kisses him on the lips “Thanks.”

Damon shrugs appearing to say whatever, but Alaric knows better, “We’re out of bourbon anyway I can go to the nice store in Whitmore instead of that hole they call a liquor store in Mystic.”

Ric laughs and opens the car door, “Love you.”

 **76)** Flannel  
“It’s fine, right?” Alaric asks turning away from the mirror.

“It’s your decision,” Damon says pained. Alaric’s trying on the new flannel shirts he ordered online, because who has time to go to the mall and buy one forty-dollar shirt when he can get at least two for that on Amazon.

Ric snorts, “You sound like Stefan.”

Damon gasps, “You’re so mean to me! I would never tell you that!” He’s holding a hand over his chest, wounded.

Ric’s laughs. “You don’t like them,” he says. It’s not a question, he knows perfectly well Damon’s not a fan of his clothes.

“You look like that Wolverine guy,” Damon says nose scrunching up.

“What’s wrong with that!” Ric laughs, “He’s hot!”

“I mean like a lumberjack dude,” Damon says.

“I repeat,” Ric laughs, “What’s wrong with that?”

“This is neither Canada nor is it winter,” Damon says with revulsion.

“I can only wear them in winter?” Ric laughs.

“If that,” Damon say, voice dripping with disdain.

Ric throws his head back laughing. “Come here,” he waves his hand. Damon sighs like Alaric’s asking him to hold up the world, but he walks over to stand in front of Ric. He stops in front, looking at him expectantly.

Ric draws him into a hug and Damon leans heavily into it, not participating in the hug at all. Ric laughs and kisses his ear. “I bought some for you, so we we’d match.”

“No!” Damon flies back disgusted. He reacts the way Ric expected him too and laughing Ric says, “I love you.”

 **77)** Do we have to  
“Do we have to?” Damon whines. He’s lying on the bed fully dressed in one of his nice suites. Ric’s standing at the bathroom trying to do his tie. It’s not like he’s has a lot of practice.

“Yes,” Alaric says gently.

He can see Damon scowl in the mirror. “Just- Does it have to be _West Side Story_?”

“Well I didn’t pick it,” Ric laughs. Caroline’s snagged the lead and everyone’s going out to dinner before her first performance tonight. Damon lets out a big sigh. Ric suspects the story line hits a little too close to home.

Alaric finishes his tie, it’s not great but it’ll do. He raises his voice as he enters the walk-in closet even though he knows Damon will hear him. “It’ll be fine. You can point out all the historical inaccuracies to me,” Ric says trying to boost Damon’s mood. He grabs his nice shoes and walks back out to the main bedroom.

“Only you think that’s fun Ric,” Alaric knows that’s a lie, Damon loves to point out inaccuracies when he has intimate knowledge of the era, city, or world event. Ric drops his shoes by the bed. Damon’s frowning at the ceiling. At the risk of wrinkles, he lays down on his side next to Damon.

“It’s going to be boring and I just wanna-“ Damon starts.

“Have fun, I know.” Ric smiles. “I’m sure everyone will want to go out after. We can all go out drinking. We haven’t done that in a while.” Ric’s resigned to the fact that he’s not the solution to underage drinking. They are practically all adults.

That seems to pull Damon out of his funk as he smiles. “Promise?”

“Promise,” Alaric says. They haven’t had a chance to all hang out since the weekend they all went to the cabin for the end of summer bash. With school starting, everyone’s college schedules have been so erratic, and Elena’s already been swallowed up by pre-med studies. “Alright.” Damon says sitting up. He seems to have fortified himself for the coming activities now. Ric stands then to grab his shoes.

“Come here,” Damon says and rolls his eyes, “We need to do something about that tie.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Alaric says trying to look at it.

“It’s a mess,” Damon says exasperate and stands to re-do all his effort. Damon’s standing so close and he smells nice. Ric feels a swell of happiness come over him. “I love you.”

 **78)** Mean Girls  
Alaric’s walking to the campus bus stop to go home. Damon dropped him off this morning and his car is still at the boarding house. He’s checking his email on his phone and walking when he sees in his peripheral vision a car pullover and he hears, “Get in loser! We’re going shopping!”

A pure spontaneous laugh bursts out of Alaric, he almost doubles over. Damon’s yelled it so loud several people around the commons stop and stare or laugh. Ric shakes his head but gets in smiling. Damon’s smile is huge. He’s very proud of himself. Ric leans over and grasps Damon’s chin and kisses him. “I love you.”

 **79)** Almost  
Ric’s in bed, propped up on pillows, reading. The bedside lamp casts a warm glow. Damon’s across the bed, face under a pillow, asleep. Or Ric assumes he’s asleep anyway, his chest doesn’t move to breathe most times so Ric’s not ever really sure. It’s probably approaching one a.m., but his book keeps getting interesting.

“Hmph,” He hears Damon grunt and he turns over, away, pillow drags over his face. A few minutes later he hears a louder, “Hmph!” Damon turns over flopping dramatically and shaking the bed a little. He settles for a while, or at least Ric gets another paragraph read before Damon slithers over, under the sheets, and presses his face to Alaric’s hip.

“The light,” he frowns eyes closed.

“I’m almost done with the chapter,” he says. Damon scowls against his hip. Ric turns the page and settles a hand over Damon’s hair. The scowl disappears for a moment. He gets another page in but then Damon complains, “Riiiic, you’ll have all the time in the world to read later.”

Ric laughs, “Will I?” When he doesn’t hear Damon joke back, he looks down. Damon’s eyes are open wide, afraid.

“I didn’t say anything,” he says and suddenly tries to roll away, but Ric stops him, getting a hand on his arm, book completely forgotten.

“Will I?” Alaric asks breathless and serious this time. He doesn’t think he can breathe.

“I don’t-, I can’t talk about it right now,” Damon says choked. Ric takes a shallow breath. “But we will?” After a moment he thinks Damon isn’t going to answer him but Damon nods incrementally and Ric feels himself breathe again, hopeful.

Ric leans down to kiss Damon’s shoulder. He rolls away for a second to turn off the light and rolls back to curl up behind Damon’s back, he hugs Damon to his chest. “I love you,” he whispers into the back of Damon’s neck.

 **80)** Coffee  
Ric’s in the kitchen leaning on his hands facing the coffee pot. It’s taking way too long. He watches it drip, drip, drip. He sighs, he stayed up way to late. Reading? He’s too tried he can’t even remember what was so important to lose sleep over.

Hands encircle his chest, hugging him. Damon presses against his back. Alaric feels Damon kiss his shoulder before pressing his check against his shoulder. Ric puts a hand over Damon’s, holding it to his chest. “I love you.”

 **81)** Laundry  
“No,” Ric sighs. “It’s dark wash warm. That’s the white cold pile.”

Damon groans dramatically and picks up the offending article and tosses it at Ric. “Seriously? It matters?”

“Yes,” Ric says. He tosses the work out shorts in the dark warm pile.

“Why?” Damon whines as he flops down onto his bed, no longer interested in helping. Alaric uses the word helping loosely.

“Cause the colors-”

“I don’t care,” Damon sighs interrupting him before Ric can get to far. “Besides your clothes aren’t worth all this effort, they’re bulk buy tee-shirts from Target.”

“Have you really never done laundry before? In 150 years?” Alaric laughs.

“I have money, I send it out,” he says simply. “Turns out I was right to. It’s boring.”

“Well I’m on my last pair of pants so it’s either this or I go naked. And-” Ric stops Damon before he can say anything. Damon closes his mouth smirking “No, I can’t go naked. I have school tomorrow.”

“Throw your clothes in with mine. We’ll send it out this afternoon. It can be back by tomorrow,” Damon says. Alaric’s actually tempted. Damon speeds in front of him, “Pwese,” he pouts. “This is realllly boring.”

Alaric laughs, “Okay, It’s not exactly my favorite thing to do.” Damon pumps a fist and suddenly the room is cleaned up and his clothes are in Damon’s hamper. Alaric laughs and catches his arm, so he can kiss him. “I love you.”

 **82)** Breathe  
Alaric wakes suddenly. He has flashes of being thrown to the ground, being struck, stabbed, of being attacked. He can’t breathe, something’s in his throat. Someone’s next to him and then not. Someone’s saying something, hands trying to prevent him from grabbing at the tube in his throat. His chest _hurts_.

A women’s voice cuts through, telling him to swallow and he does. The tube is pulled out of his throat and it hurts but then things feel marginally better. He can breathe. He coughs and his chest his _lungs_ hurt He keeps his eyes closed as he tries to breath, relax.

His throat is scratchy and dry. A water cup is placed in his hands and someone’s helping him drink. It helps and he lays back against pillows breathing hard. He opens his eyes then and they fly around the room, looking around, assessing where the fuck he is and what’s going on. He’s in a hospital room, it’s empty now of what must have been a few people. And then Damon standing next to his bed, hand in his. “Hey,” he whispers his throat soar his chest throbbing painfully.

Damon snorts, “Hey, he says.” He looks haggard.

“What happened? Why am I here?” he whispers back, voice horse. Damon looks miserable.

“We missed a vampire. The one that went after Bonnie a few months ago. He had a lover we didn’t know about. She went after you as you left school. Stabbed you.” Damon swallows thickly, “Fucking lucky you were by the medical school and you’re not going to believe it but a witch doctor found you. She stabilized you and called 911.” Damon’s just staring at his chest. Ric rubs at Damon’s hand with his thumb. Damon’s eyes flicker to his face then.

Damon crawls on the bed next to him then. He puts an arm around Alaric’s waist carefully. He lays his head on his shoulder. “By the time Bonnie called me you were in surgery and they’d already put you on a respirator.”

“We didn’t know what would happen if we took it out to give you blood so we left it in,” Damon says to Ric’s neck, he sounds exhausted.

“How long have I been here?” he rasps.

“Three days,” Damon replies and turns his face into Ric’s neck. Ric turns his head, nose buries into Damon’s hair. He doesn’t think he’s showered in a while but Alaric doesn’t care. He keeps his head there.

“And the vampire’s lover?” he asks.

“I left it to Stefan and Caroline to deal with.”

“Witch doctor?’ he asks “Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Ahh powerless witch,” Damon clarifies. Damon moves so he can look into Ric’s eyes. “She’s been helping to keep things quite.” He says.

Damon takes his own wrist and bites it. He tries to put it to Ric’s mouth but Ric brings a hand up to cup Damon’s face first, even though it pulls at the muscles in his chest. “I love you, Damon.”

 **83)** Liz  
Ric drops another log into the fire-pit and sits back in his chair. Liz is over and they’re hanging out in the back patio. She brought the food and Damon supplied the wine. It’s weird but he feels grown up drinking wine tonight instead of the usual bourbon. His parents where always wine drinkers, not him.

The conversation about how Matt’s doing on the police force lapses into a comfortable silence for a moment. “So how’s Josh?” Ric asks.

“Fine probably, we broke up a few weeks ago,” she says shrugging.

Damon sits up a little in the chair he’s curled up in. “What? Why? What happened?” Damon asks surprised. “He seemed fine!”

“Oh well, if he was just fine,” Liz laughs.

“Fine in a good way! Fine as in not paranormal, straight, still had all his hair, and he drove a sports car!” Damon says defensive.

“Yeah, the sports car was a mid-life crisis situation,” she smiles. Ric doesn’t think she’s that torn up about it. Damon seems more upset than she is. “Anyway, Caroline got a vibe so,” she shrugs.

“Oh weeeell, If Caroline got a _vibe_ ,” Damon rolls his eyes. Liz and Ric laugh.

“I have terrible radar about these things,” she says shrugging again.

Damon gasps excitedly almost getting out his chair, “We should go out! All three of us, see if we can’t find you a good one!” He looks to Liz expectantly. She laughs, “I don’t know…’

“Come on Liz, It’ll be fun! All three of us haven’t gone out if forevvvverr!” Damon exaggerates.  
“Let’s go Friday! Please tell me you’re not on call. We could go to Richmond for the weekend!” Damon says excitedly. Liz just looks at him skeptically. “Or we could stay here and do nothing, whatever.” Damon’s says flippantly, but Ric knows he really wants to.

“Well Liz? Couple drinks couldn’t hurt,” Ric says. Damon nods enthusiastically.

“Alight,” she says like they dragged it out of her but she smiles.

“Yusssss!” Damon pumps his fist in the air. “We’ll find you a good one. With the two of us as your wing-men we’ll find the hottest, non-paranormal, straight guy for you,” Damon’s says. Ric can’t help but chuckle.

Liz laughs, “In Mystic Falls? I’m not sure how many guys are left that qualify.”

“There’s gotta be somebody. Don’t worry Liz we’ll find your unicorn,” Damon can’t even keep a straight face as he laughs. Ric stands still laughing. “We’re out of wine, should I get more?”

“Yeah, I put some in the fridge.” Damon says, “Ooo grab the cheese too! I forgot we had that.”

Ric grabs the empties and walks to the kitchen. He recycles the bottles and grabs the white wine and cheese from the fridge. He takes out crackers and a cheese cutter, cause of course the Salvatore’s have a cheese cutter. He’s looking for something to carry it all out on when he hears their conversation float through the open windows.

“How’s Ric?” Liz asks. Ric frowns she sounds sad.

“Good. He’s good. You know.” Damon says, like he’s avoiding.

“You too are good? You guys look happy.”

“Yes. We’re happy.” Damon says. Ric has to smirk he can practically hear Damon’s smile in his voice.

Damon clears his throat, “How’s Caroline?” Damon’s asks, “She getting better at the acting thing.” He says magnanimously.

“She’s been good. She was great in West Side Story.” Liz sounds proud. “I think she’s changing majors though after this semester. I think she realized if she continued, she’d want to do it for real and well- she can’t.”

“Not professionally anyway. She could keep doing it for fun on the side though.” He hears Damon say. “Vampires need hobbies too.”

“True,” he hears Liz laugh.

Ric manages to find a tray and he stacks all the food on top, he carries it all out to the patio. They spend another few hours outside, chatting, snacking, and drinking. It’s getting cold at nights now but instead of going inside they pull out blankets. They talk until midnight and Damon offers for Liz to stay but she declines and Damon orders her a cab because Mystic Falls isn’t big enough to support Uber.

They watch her get into her cab and Damon returns to the patio to douse the low fire and take bottles back inside. Alaric follows and catches him around the waist as he picks up a bottle. Ric kisses him, “I love you.”

 **84)** Dishes  
Alaric’s standing at the sink, washing dishes. He’s lost in thought. Classes, his paper, Damon, Elena which reminds him he promised to go over and help Matt fix the deck. His thoughts turn to Liz who leads to Caroline, who makes him think they need to pick up coffee beans, didn’t he have half a bag at his apartment? Isn’t his lease ending soon? He should check that, but that sends his thoughts back to Damon, he’s gotta remember he has a dentist appointment this week, and then Damon, where does he buy his pants?, Damon, Damon, bourbon, Damon. He’s circling back to work when he hears, “You know we have a dishwasher right?”

Damon’s suddenly standing next to him, arms crossed.

“You know not everything should go in there right?” he says smiling. Damon shrugs, unconcerned.

Damon holds out a hand sighing only a little dramatically. Ric takes a hand out of the water and grabs a towel from the counter. He tosses it over Damon shoulder. “Hmm” Damon grumbles but he takes it and moves to the drying rack. They quietly attend to their tasks for a while.

“Elena asked if I could come over and help Matt with the deck this week. She said she’d pay in food or bourbon but not both,” Ric said smiling.

“Hard choice,” Damon says focused on whipping down a pan. “She said you should come too,” Ric says.

Damon shrugs “I’m not really into woodworking.”

“Actually, I’m not sure the deck actually needs fixing. I think it’s a ploy to get us to go over there more. I think she’s a little envious of Bonnie getting all the pasta lessons.” Ric leans over to bump Damon gently with his elbow

Damon smirks. “All the ladies want my pasta… recipes!” he finishes loudly when Ric gives him a ‘you’re gross’ look. Damon laughs but he strangely mellows again.

“What’s wrong?” Alaric prods gently. “I thought you’d warmed up to Matt.”

Damon sighs picking up another pot, “It’s the house.” Damon says simply. Ric has a bad feeling about what Damon’s about to say.

“On my way out of Augustine, I-” Damon pauses, really making sure the pot in his hands is dry, “I passed through Mystic Falls.”

“With your humanity shut off,” Ric says, he knows how this story ends.

“With my humanity shut off,” Damon concurs.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to,” Ric says. Not that he doesn’t want to hear but he knows it can be hard.

“Not much to tell really. I killed the family and moved on.” Ric doubts very much that that’s all there is too it. Damon didn’t do morose when there isn’t ‘much to tell’

“Well, how about we make new memories there,” Ric tires, but as soon as he said it, it sounds stupid to him and he cringes a little. “Sorry that’s a little-”

“Cringe-y?” Damon says but there’s a small smile.

“I mean I-, I’m not going to force you to go there and re-live that.” God he’s really sucking at this. “I just mean if we can replace some of the bad maybe it’ll be less trigger-y?” He signs, looking to the ceiling, why can’t he use his words right now?

Damon finally puts the pan down. “I know what you’re saying,” he says and picks up another pot. “I’ll miss parts of Elena's life if I can’t deal,” he says solemnly. “It’s just going to take some time.”

“Yes, yeah. No, I get that. That’s fine. Good.” Ric says in a rush; he concentrates on washing the pot lid in his hands. He hands it to Damon to rinse. Damon pulls out the sprayer, sprays it down, put it in the drying rack then promptly sprays him in the chest.

“Fuck!” Ric yells surprised. He’s bunched up his shoulders and brought his arms up to protect himself even though it’s too late. “Dick!” he says incredulous.

Damon cackles almost bent over. “You’re face!” Alaric grabs a handful of soap suds and chucks it at Damon face. Damon gasps surprised, a good lob of it is in his hair and cheek.

“You… bitch,” Damon whispers. It’s Alaric’s turn to laugh. “What’d you think I’d do!” Damon aims the sprayer back his way but Alaric has run out of reach now. Alaric laughs as the water doesn’t make it to him. Damon drops the sprayer glaring at him.

“Oh shit,” Ric mutters and runs laughing through the living room. Damon catches him easily and tackles him onto the couch with an ‘oof.’ The sofa moves probably ten inches from the force of their momentum.  
Damon flips him easily and pins his arms above him.

“What am I going to do with you, now that I’ve caught you,” Damon says, contemplating.

“I have a few ideas,” Ric says and cheekily wraps a leg around Damon’s waist, the other one’s trapped under Damon.

Damon lifts an eyebrow, “I guess that could work.” Damon kisses him roughly. When he pulls back Ric’ smiling, happy. “I love you.”

 **85)** Bourbon  
“Let’s just get this one,” Ric says and pulls the bourbon off the shelf.

Damon looks at it and makes a face, “Gross, no. Put that crap down.” He returns to surveying the wall of liquor.

“We’ve been here for fifteen minutes. It can’t be that hard to choose,” Ric says a little cranky. He’s tired from a long week of work and offing a group of vamps they had to drive all the way to North Carolina overnight to finish off. He just wants to go home, stuff his face with Chinese food and whatever drink they buy now, and then go to bed. He wouldn’t say no to a quick hand job and a cuddle but he’s too exhausted to do much else.

Alaric leans against a stack of beer. “Please, just pick one,” Alaric says close to whining and his voice cracks. Damon’s eyes slide over to look at him instead of the liquor shelf. He grabs one without looking, “Okay, this one.” As he passes Ric, he grabs his hand and pulls him to check out. “I love you,” Ric sighs gratefully.

 **86)** Past  
They’re laying naked on the floor of the living room in front of the fire. Ric’s head is resting on Damon’s chest. Damon’s dozing but Ric’s thinking.

“When did you first realize you liked boys?” Alaric asks, and he knows it’s out of nowhere.

It takes a few moments before Damon says, “Twenty maybe.” Alaric sits up and leans on his hand to look at Damon. “That old?”

Damon shrugs, “Sexuality wasn’t really everywhere like it is now. It was just assumed you’d marry a girl and have kids. I thought that would happen to me eventually. I didn’t really understand the singular focus other boys had on girls until I met Katherine. I don’t really remember thinking about sex much just about wanting to have fun.” Alaric’s listens attentively.

“Did you ever-, back then with men?” Alaric asks.

“No, not when I was human. I guess I sort of knew I was attracted to both men and women but I never found anyone to go there with. It was just another thing that made me feel alienated from other people. It became something to run away from and not think or talk about. I always felt different and people sensed I was different too.” Ric places a hand on Damon’s stomach and strokes the skin with his thumb. “Probably safe to say I didn’t really understand the mechanics either.”

“Katherine was you’re first?” and Damon nods. It’s not like sex-ed was super available or freely talked about or encouraged.

“Your father didn’t try to arrange a marriage for you?” Alaric’s curious, if he remembers right women married as early as twenty and men tended to marry around twenty-six back then, he was always curious why Damon hadn’t ever mentioned at least an arrangement being discussed.

“Before the war there weren’t many women of marring age or in the right class in Mystic Falls, and my father probably thought I’d die during the war. Probably didn’t want to broker an arrangement with anyone outside of town if the effort would go to waste.” Damon snorts, “He probably thought me dyeing in the war would be the best outcome for the family. Then when I returned nobody wanted to marry a deserter. It was covered up of course and Katherine helped with that but people still didn’t want to have much to do with me. The only thing I had going for me was that I was a member of a founding family and eventually I’d inherit some money from my father, I guess. But I was the second best, Stefan was the one people were waiting for. Innocent, mild-manner, polite, soft spoken Stefan,” Damon scoffs.

Alaric leans down to kiss Damon lips gently, he doesn’t think anything he can say will heal that hurt. “That’s not true,” he whispers though. Damon shrugs. “ _I_ love you” Ric says intently.

 **87)** Take out  
“I’m ordering Chinese food,” Alaric yells from the kitchen. He’s routing around in the drawer for the takeout menus. Damon speeds into the kitchen. “I thought we were making lasagna,” he says disappointed.

“Sorry, maybe tomorrow,” Ric sighs “I’m too tired tonight and we’re missing like half the ingredients. We won’t be eating until nine at this rate.”

Damon sighs dramatically, “Fine. Order me three egg rolls, two spring, lo mien, no shrooms, and beef and pepper steak.”

Alaric smiles, “The usual then?”

Damon scoffs, “I wouldn’t have to order so much if you didn’t steal half of my order.” Alaric laughs and swings Damon to rest against his hip. “I love you.”

 **88)** But I love you anyway  
“You’re an ass,” Alaric says annoyed.

“Yes, but you l-” Damon stops abruptly, fear comes over his face.

Ric smiles, “But I love you anyway.”

 **89)** Research  
Alaric’s having a hard time concentrating. Damon’s sitting next to him at the kitchen table with him. He’s at least a foot away reading his own book but Damon’s stretched out his hand across the back of the chairs to play with the hair at the back of Alaric’s head. He doesn’t think Damon’s doing it on purpose, he likes touching and being touched, but it’s very distracting. It’s a problem but Ric doesn’t want to tell him to stop either. Dilemmas.

“Hey, is this it?” Damon says taking his hand back and sliding the book he’s been skimming over to him. It’s a drawing of the Ankh he has on his desk at work.

“Yes! I think it is!” Ric says excitedly. It’s the subject of his paper he’s been trying to write. Damon hands him the book and Alaric skims the contents quickly. He grabs a notebook to jot down a few notes. Suddenly a piece of paper is instead into the page and Damon’s closing the book on him. Alaric laughs, “Hey!”

“We found your thing- I found your thing, so we’re done now yeah?”

“That thing is part of Sehkmet’s staff of eternal life,” Damon rolls his eyes, bored. Damon pulls him back from the table with his strength, enough so he can get a leg over Ric’s lap to sit. “You promised when we found the thing, we’d do something fun.” He rests his arms on Ric’s shoulders.

“That wasn’t fun?’ Alaric asks playful.

“Not the kind of fun I’m referring to,” Damon says, Ric can almost feel his eyes about to roll again. Alaric plants his hands on Damon’s ass. He gets an “Ooo,” and an eyebrow raise before he lifts Damon up by his ass and puts him on his back on top of the table, research and all. He does push the ancient, priceless book aside though. He kisses Damon hard whose hanging onto his neck.

He pulls back a moment, “Take note Professor, this is the type of fun I’m referring to.” Damon says, smirking.

Alaric laughs, “I love you.”

 **90)** Headache  
Ric pulls into the boarding house driveway. He can’t wait to get into sweatpants, make dinner, and do nothing. It’s been one of those days and he has a serious migraine working its’ way through his skull. He grabs his satchel full of papers he has no intention of looking at. He walks in and doesn’t see anyone in the living room, so he trudges upstairs and changes into his highly anticipated sweatpants. He looks through the medicine cabinet and drawers of Damon’s bathroom. He’s not very surprised when he doesn’t see any medicine of any kind.

He should maybe bring some over he belatedly realizes. Stefan’s not around either and Ric feels a little guilty as he checks Stefan bathroom. He hopes distantly that Elena lefts some ages ago but nothing. He trudges back downstairs, hoping to see someone who can help dig him up some aspirin at the very least but his quick check of the kitchen and library reveals he’s alone. Dejected he lays on the living room sofa and throws his arm over his eyes, it’s reaching light sensitive levels. He’ll just wait.

He must have dozed a little cause he hears the front door open and he moves his head but that’s a bad idea. He feels a little nauseated so he just lays there. He hears Damon and Stefan’s voices and then someone it heading in the direction of the kitchen, the other thankfully towards him. He squints up. Damon’s perched on his elbows looking over the back of the couch at him.

“Whatch’ya dooo-ing?” he says smiling.

“Trying to will away a migrate,’ he says glumly. He wishes he could enjoy Damon’s good mood right now.

“Did you take something?” Damon asks.

“No, this house has no people drugs,” he says and closes his eyes but not before he sees Damon frown. He feels Damon sit next to him on the couch then. Cool hands cover his eyes and Ric sighs. He feels Damon press his forehead to his and pecks him on the lips. Damon moves his hands and Ric opens his eye squinting but Damon’s created a little tunnel around their eyes, shading the worst of the light for him.

His eyes are so beautiful Alaric thinks, they glow even in the low light. Damon kisses him and slides his tongue inside Ric’s mouth. He tastes copper and his migraine melts away. Alaric sighs gratefully and kisses back enthusiastically. Damon takes his tongue back then. Ric looks up at him, their eyes still shaded. “You can always ask you know,” Damon whispers and then he’s pulling away, standing.

Alaric sits up and manages to grab his wrist before he moves too far. “Hey,” he says softly. Damon just stands there so Ric gently tugs on his arm. Damon sits again finally but doesn’t look at him. He kisses Damon’s shoulder. “I didn’t want you to think I was using you.” Damon turns marginally towards him. “But if you’re offering I’ll look you up next time. Are you listed under V for Vamp Doctor?”

Damon snorts, laughing, “That’s awful,” He turns to Ric and grasps his face to kiss him roughly, apparently Ric’s forgiven. When Damon pulls back, Ric whispers, “I love you.”

 **91)** Lecture  
Alaric finishes writing ‘Vampires in History’ on the board. This is always his most attended class in his “History of Myths and Lore” class. People who aren’t even signed up to get college credit come to this lecture sometimes. It’s already rather packed and he has his notes set out. He basically knows it by heart but he likes having the summary points out in case he loses his place. He checks his watch, he should start soon but he’ll give late attendees a moment to find a seat if there is one. He looks up and sees a few people standing in the back of the auditorium already.

He takes a cursory look around, getting a sense of the crowd. His eyes stop on an individual in the front row. An individual who he knows very well. Damon grins at him. He’s has a pen and paper on the pullout arm desk in front of him. Damon raises his eyebrow at him amused smirk filling his face. He posies his pen on his paper waiting for Ric to start. Ric can’t hold back his small laugh. So, he starts. “Vampires are popular in our culture these days. We all know about the popular vampires in literature, Dracula, Nosferatu, and the sparkle one.” This usually gets a laugh. He looks at Damon and he’s rolling his eyes.

He keeps going, “But most don’t know that all these characters originated from real life people in history. Today we’ll be look at Sekhmet, who some believe to be the first vampire in Egypt, Countess Elizabeth Bathory Mur, who drank blood of young women to stay young, the Celtic Chief Abhartach, and of course Prince Vlad Dracula.” He looks at Damon briefly whose smiling and sticking his pen in his mouth and running he pen along his lips.

He decidedly doesn’t look at Damon the rest of the lecture.

An hour and half later he wraps up the lecture and answers questions for the next half. Finally, class is over and people file out talking excitedly amongst themselves. He gathers his notes that he only needed once and waits for the lecture auditorium to empty. Gratefully nobody stays back to talk to him except of course, Damon. Damon stays seated in his chair and Ric raises his eyebrow at him. Damon raises his hand.

“Mr. Salvatore? You have a question?” Ric asks smiling.

“I’d like to dispute your Sekhmet original theory,” Damon smirks.

“Okay, write me a ten-page paper outlining your theory. Reference your sources.”

“Wait, No!” Damon says surprise. “Riiiiiic, you’re ruining my teacher fantasy.”

“I do offer extra credit,” Ric says. “If that’s more your speed?”

Damon lights up, pout gone. He stands up and walks up to Ric. He leans into Alaric’s personal space. “Well I do have some real-life application on this subject matter. I could show you sometime?”

“I’d like to see that,” Ric says smiling. He’s having a hard time keeping a straight face.

“What are you doing later?” Damon asks seductively.

“Fucking you, probably.” Ric says.

“I’ll be there.” Damon says smiling. Ric laughs, he grabs the lapel of Damon’s coat and kisses him. “I love you so much.”

 **92)** Wrist-ky offer  
Alaric’s rooting around in the fridge. They really need to go grocery shopping he realizes. He’s starving. He’d been caught up in research since breakfast and hasn’t seen Damon all morning. He’ll go looking for him after he eats. Damon had been surly this morning, annoyed.

Ric pulls out eggs and they still have some elbows of bread. He starts heating up the pan with butter when he hears Damon walking through the living room. He sounds like he’s talking on the phone because Ric only hears one side of the conversation.

“Yes, Caroline. Yeah, yeah. Yawwwn.” Damon says sounding board.

“Do you want your mom to be alone forever?” he asks, accusing. “I don’t care if that’s not fair.”

“Okay? Give Nate a chance. Yes, Yeah, Wednesday, Yup, NO! BYE!” He yells the last bit as he’s walking into the kitchen and hanging up the phone. He spots Ric immediately. Ric raises his eyebrow questioning.

“We’ve got a dinner plans Wednesday with Caroline, Stefan, Nate, and Liz,” He says irritable, “Better not have plans.”

“Only to go to dinner and watch Caroline give Nate the evil eye,” Ric smiles. Damon huffs, but Ric gets a little half smile. Still a little surly Ric notes. Damon slides up the counter next to Ric whose got the eggs in now. Damon’s eyeing the eggs like they did something personal to him and crosses his arms. Alaric sighs and holds out his wrist.

Damon looks at it. “What?”

“It’s fine,” he says still holding it out and pushing the eggs around in the pan. “You seem hungry.”

Damon looks a little stunned. Ric doesn’t know why, Damon’s drank from him plenty of times. He takes Alaric wrist holding it in his hands, he stares at it for a moment, runs a thumb over Ric’s pulse. He bends down, and Ric thinks he’s going to bite but Damon just kisses it gently. He folds Ric’s arm against Ric’s chest. Hugging him he buries his face into Ric’s shoulder.

“I’m fine. I’ll take two eggs though,” and just like that Damon surliness dissipates. Ric leans down to kiss Damon’s temple. “I love you.”

 **93)**  Feed me  
“Feed me,” Damon says and tilts his head back on the couch cushion. He’s sitting on the floor. They’re trying to watch a movie but Damon’s not really having it. Ric smiles though and drops some popcorn into his mouth. Damon chews and opens his mouth again. Ric does it again. Damon returns his attentions to the TV screen for a moment but it doesn’t last long.

“This movie is boring,” he groans and throws his head back against the couch again looking at Alaric.

“Cool story, bro,” Alaric says smiling. He can’t even keep a straight face when he says it. Damon sniggers below him. “There’s that Professor wit.” Ric laughs. Damon opens his mouth again expectantly. Ric drops a few more pieces into it. He holds his hand above Damon’s mouth for a moment and Damon licks at them before Ric takes his hand back. They sit in silence for while watching. When Damon tilts his head back again though, Alaric upends the whole popcorn bowl over him. Damon’s gasping and sputtering for a moment while Ric laughs. Damon was right this movie is kind of boring.

“It’s down my shirt!’ Damon’s yells and Ric’s getting a stitch in his side he’s laughing so hard at Damon’s surprised face. “Let me help you with that,” Ric snickers trying to take Damon’s shirt off. Damon pushes him up then and pushing him against the cushion straddling his legs, sitting on his lap.

“Popcorn pervert,” Damon says and Ric laughs some more. White popcorn pieces are still stuck in Damon’s dark hair. “You’re going to regret that.” Damon says.

“No, I don’t think I am,” Alaric laughs. Damon pushes him hard into the cushions as he attacks Ric’s mouth with his own. Damon gets a hand in his pants and strokes him until he’s hard.

Damon pulls back and considers him for a moment. “Never mind, I don’t feel like it tonight,” he says and gets up suddenly. Ric’s lap is abruptly cold and empty, he’s holding onto nothing.

“Hey!” Ric calls after him, affronted. Damon’s walking up the stairs to the second floor. Alaric runs after him, his fly still open. “Hey,” he says catching Damon’s hand on the middle landing. “I regret it,” he says and Damon turns to studying him.

“Kiss me, and everything is forgiven,” Damon says with a glint in his eye. Ric’s not sure what’s about to happen but he’s resigned to his fate and leans down to kiss Damon’s lips. Damon deepens the kiss, arms encircling Ric waist. Suddenly a hand is down the back of his boxes and he’s got popcorn in his shorts.

“Arg!” And Damon’s cackling and then he’s running up the stairs to his room. Ric has no choice to follow. He catches Damon and tackles him onto the bed so hard the bed slides a few inches. It doesn’t bother Damon though who still laughing. He reaches for Alaric’s head so he can kiss him and Ric’ laughs “I love you” into Damon’s laughing mouth.

 **94)** Wi-Fi  
“Hey, Did you change your wi-fi password?” Alaric asks when Damon walks out of the shower. “I can’t connect.”

“ButtSex69, no spaces, capital letters on Butt and Sex. I can’t wait until Stefan asks.” Damon says gleeful. He stops to stand naked in the middle of his bedroom grinning like a loon. Alaric laughs leaning back against the pillows. “God, I love you.”

 **95)**  Casual  
They’re on the same side of the booth at the Grill. Damon’s flipping through his phone while they wait to order. He casually puts his hand on Alaric’s thigh and strokes the inside of Ric’s thigh, gently, absently. “I love you.”

 **96)** Babe  
“Babe, pass me the butter,” Ric says off-handedly as he reads the paper, no animal attacks. He looks up after a moment. Damon’s holding the butter but just smiling at him, “What?”

“Nothing” he says simply but he’s still smiling. It’s soft and beautiful and Alaric’s saying “I love you” without conscious thought, he feels it.

 **97)**  Grocery Shopping  
Ric’s slowly pushing the shopping cart, leaning on the bar, wishing he remembered what was on the list, that they forgot on the kitchen table. Damon practically runs up to him smiling like a big kid. “We’re getting a lifetime supply of this.” He holds out a dark brown box.

Alaric raises his eyebrow at him, “Count Chocula cereal?”

“I can’t wait to see Stefan frown disapprovingly as I we eat it!” Damon laughs excitedly he’s almost jumping up and down.

Alaric laughs picturing it, “I love you.”

 **98)**  Butt Wiggle  
He’s standing filling up Damon’s car with gas. Damon’s cleaning the windshield. Alaric’s appreciating the view as Damon bends over the car, stretching to reach the other side. Damon sees him looking so he raises his eyebrow suggestively and sticks his ass out further, wiggling it. Ric laughs “You’re such a goof, I love you”

 **99)** Coffee shop  
They’re in line at the coffee shop and Damon giggles against his ear with his hands in Alaric’s pockets, “whisper, whisper, I just want to kiss your ear.”

It makes Alaric laugh out loud, he has a sudden swell of emotion. “God, Damon. I love you.”

 **100)** Drop off  
They’re in the car making out. Damon puts a hand in his hair and Alaric pulls away smiling, “Not the hair, I can’t show up like I just got laid.” Damon pouts and drops his hand dramatically. Alaric can’t help the goofy smile and leans over to peck Damon on the lips one last time. “Love you.”

 **100+)** Forever

The last memory fades and Damon’s face come back into view. Alaric’s face is wet from tears he didn’t realized he’d shed. The force of all those emotions returning with their restored context is completely overwhelming. All the times he’d been physically hurt, all the times he’s been so blindingly happy and content.

“Holy shit,” he gasps out, like he’s been holding his breath for a very long time, “I really love you.”

Damon snorts, smiling painfully. “ _I know_.”

“I-, I don’t understand. Why? What has this all been about? Why did you take those memories from me? They’re good memories,” Alaric whispers, all the times Damon had made him laugh, happy, and full. Even the ones he’d been in so much pain, he’d felt loved.

“Don’t you believe me? After all those times?” his voice is horse, he doesn’t know if he can speak any louder.

“I do,” Damon sounds defeated, beaten down, “believe you.”

"Why are you so miserable then?” Alaric tries to laugh but it’s strained. Doubt enters Alaric’s mind. “Do you not want me too?" He doesn’t want to think that would be the reason for all of this. That Damon only wants the casual fling. They’ve been basically been living and eating together, loving each other, been a family for months. Ric’s chest hurts and he feels more tears fall.

They’ve been in a larger, deeper relationship than Ric had wholly realized. Not until he got all those memories back. He’s made the same decision over and over again. He loves Damon and he’s here to stay. He’s in it for the long haul. The very, very long haul. Is it even possible that after all that Damon doesn’t want him?

He stands, releases Damon’s wrist to pull away, but Damon catches his hand before he can move. They’re both standing now. "Because everything changes once you say it." Damon says desperately.

"How does it change?” Alaric whispers. “How can it possibly.”

“Because if you love me. I’ll hurt you. It’s my fucking M.O. And that’s something I can’t live with. I can’t live with you hating me. I told myself I’d end this if you ever got there because I can’t survive you hurting because of me.” Damon’s voice breaks.

“I’ve always known we wouldn’t last long but it was too short. I took the memories to delay breaking up. Even if by some phenomenon I don’t hurt you enough to hate me. If you love me, I’ll want to turn you. But I know you don’t want to turn and I don’t think I can watch you get old Ric.” Damon cracks and sobs he turns his face away.

“Who says?” Ric says grasping. “Who says I don’t want to turn?”

“What?” Damon says looking back with red rimmed eyes.

“You’ve never asked if I would turn, we’ve never has that discussion,” Ric says, he feels his voice getting stronger. “When you took my memories, you took some of my other thoughts too. I don’t know if you meant to take as much as you did but when Jack attacked me,” Damon winces. “Before he knocked me out all I could think about was that I wouldn’t get to see you again. I wouldn’t be able to be here for you. Be by your side. I realized in that moment that I wanted to.”

“You can’t do it just for me,” Damon says moaning.

“It’s not just for you. It’s for me too. The family we’ve built Damon, the relationship we’ve built. I’d turn for that. I want _that_ forever.” Damon covers his face with the back of his bloody hand. He stands despairing. Ric sighs, his poor broken love. Alaric takes Damon’s bloody hand and leads him to the couch. They sit side by side. He pulls Damon’s hand into his lap and starts taking out the bigger pieces, it eerily reminds him now of when Stefan had to do the same. They both watch Alaric remove the glass, Damon just listens to him talk.

“I’ve said it over a hundred times but maybe I’m saying it wrong.” Alaric says. “Damon, I’m in love with you. You can erase the memory of it, try to hide it, ignore it but I’m going to keep thinking it-, _feeling_ it. I’m going to keep saying it.”

Ric takes a breath and his voice sounds a little stronger, “I’ve been hurt and I’m still here. Just because things go wrong or people get hurt doesn’t mean I’m going to leave. I’ve told you before I’m not. We work on the problem and move on, move forward.” He’s got all the pieces he can without digging in or without tweezers but his hand looks better.

“We don’t have to have all those conversations tonight,’ Ric says gently “I don’t know about you but I’m kind of emotionally drained.” He’s been watching Damon’s face. Damon involuntarily gives a little ‘huffs’ and a small smile.

“Just know,” Ric pauses until Damon looks at him. “Just know that I love you.” Damon winces, so Ric says it again. “I love you and I’m going to start drinking some of your blood, daily.” Damon opens his mouth then to argue. Ric puts his finger on Damon’s lips, stopping him. Ric smiles he always wanted to do that. He takes his finger back though when Damon huffs a little laugh as Ric’s actions. Still smiling Ric says, “I’m in no hurry to become a vampire just yet but I don’t want something to happen and regret not being able to do so. I want to be here for you and with you.”

Damon nods then, consenting, finally at least a little bit giving in.

“You asked me once,” Ric says. “You asked me if I could fix you.” Damon winces, ashamed he turns away. Ric doesn’t let him, he gently brings Damon’s face back to his. “This is how.”

Damon sniffles and tears fall. Alaric smiles and wipes one away. “I love you Damon and I’m in love with you.”

“I love you too,” Damon whispers.


End file.
